Edwin D. Patterson, 72, a retired Army Corps of Engineers colonel and former construction manager with Parson DeLeuw Inc. and the Ralph M. Parsons Co. of Washington, died Aug 4 at his home in Silver Spring after a heart attack. He had pancreatic cancer.

COL Patterson, who was born in Superior, Wis., entered the Navy in 1943, and then the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1944. Four years later, he graduated with a commission in the Corps of Engineers. Overseas engineering assignment took him to Korea during the Korean conflict and, in 1968 and 1969, to Vietnam during the fighting there. COL Patterson also graduated from the Army War College and served as associate dean of academics at West Point before retiring from active duty in 1978.

COL Patterson then joined Parsons in Washington, where he was a construction manager on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor Improvement Project and the Dulles International Airport expansion project. He retired again in 1992.

His military decorations included the Bronze Star with "V" for valor. Survivors include his wife of 44 years, Joan W., of Silver Spring; four children, Army LTC Edwin Dennis Patterson, Jr. of Stafford, VA, Navy CDR Erin Eileen Olson of Camp Lejeuen, NC; William D. Patterson of Bridgewater, NJ and John Del Patterson of Laurel; a sister, Eileen McDonald of Brainerd, Minn. and five grandchildren.

Internment is at West Point.