In Remembrance of Jason Patrick
Beyond the public figure, those closest to him remember Jason’s exceptional selflessness
We mark two years now since we lost Jason, a man whose presence made a lasting impact on everyone who knew him and many who only heard his words.
We remember him as a steadfast friend, a devoted family man, and a fervent patriot who revered the United States Constitution as the final defense against government overreach.
Jason’s dedication was to the value of individual freedom. His true commitment was to the framework of this country.
He lived by the firm conviction that if we do not abide by the Constitution, which limits government power, then we have no rule of law and no country.
This deep-seated belief took him from the protests at Bundy Ranch in 2014, when I met him and we instantly became lifelong friends, to the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016.
In those environments, he was distinct—whether in the vast dry desert or standing in the cold and snow in a dress shirt, khaki pants, and blue blazer, appearing ready for a courtroom rather than a standoff.
When addressing reporters and skeptics alike, he was unequivocal: “The federal government has no right to own any of these lands.
That’s it.”
His worldview was profoundly shaped by his experience as a small business owner and by his family’s history.
Before becoming involved in public protests, Jason ran a successful roofing business in Georgia, which collapsed during the economic crash of 2008.
He became convinced that endless foreign wars and crony capitalism had devastated middle-class assets, while "too big to fail" government relief programs had only exacerbated the situation by funneling wealth away from ordinary citizens.
This perspective was deeply personal. He often spoke with great pride of his father, a Vietnam veteran who, long before it was fashionable, cut an off-grid family homestead out of the Virginia woods.
Tragically, Jason’s father died when Jason was only 12, of cancer related to his exposure to Agent Orange during the war.
For years, Jason watched his mother struggle to obtain the veterans' benefits their family desperately needed. His disdain for government inefficiencies and their impact on the individual was rooted in real adversity.
He was tired, he said, of a government that sends young people to die in wars that profit a wealthy elite whose own children will never serve.
Yet, beyond the public figure, those closest to him remember Jason’s exceptional selflessness. He was the kind of friend who would drop everything to help. This spirit was dramatically evident during an unexpected snowstorm in Atlanta.
While there, Jason single-handedly pulled numerous people from their stranded cars, including a woman eight months pregnant, and provided crucial first aid and medical assistance to several others during the chaos.
It is a tragedy that heroes like Jason are taken from us all too soon. He is deeply missed by his family, friends, and the community of those he inspired. As we honor his memory, we find comfort in the words of Vince Gill:
"Go rest high on that mountain, son, your work on Earth is done. Go to heaven a-shoutin', love for the Father and the Son."
Jason's work here on earth is done, but his legacy and his dedication to principle endure.
— Vincent Easley II, Real Liberty Media