The Death of Duane “D Train” Patterson at a Chelsea Pub

The sign on the front of Billy Mark’s West in Chelsea advertises beer and shot special “all day & night. All Welcome.”

But as the night of Dec. 23 stretched into the early morning hours of Christmas Eve, they decided it was time to close the neighborhood watering hole at the corner of 29th and Ninth Ave. for the night. Maybe the bartender was tired or maybe his trusted friend and bouncer Duane “D Train” Patterson wanted to do some last minute Christmas shopping for his wife of 27 years up in Inwood, or his daughter from out of state or maybe even get something for his beloved pet dog.

A last minute wanna-be-customer appeared around 3 am and Patterson told him the bar was already closed. An argument ensued, on the sidewalk outside, and when Patterson turned to leave, the man smashed Patterson in the face with a closed fist, cops said surveillance video showed, and as Patterson fell to the ground, his head hit the pavement hard.

More than a week after the homicide, the death was still raw and business was slow at Billy Mark’s West. Two middle aged gentleman sat together sipping beer and a shot, chatting at the far end of the bar. The bartender kept the bottle of Crown Royal right on the counter and poured generously. Two attractive young women appeared around 9:30 pm. They asked for change for the pool table--and they appeared to be pretty good shots as the tall blonde ran the table but the pair did not appear aware of the tragedy a little more than a week earlier. Another woman appeared and she immediately gave the bartender a hug. She knew.

The bar has been there since 1956 and Patterson worked there for a good many of them. They have a shot and beer special for $10 and classic pictures adorn the walls, and the owner seemed to have a particular affinity for the Beatles of the 1960s and the Knicks of the 1970s. One classic black and white photo showed Muhammad Ali, pounding his chest as four prone Beatles lay on the canvas. Above the cash register, there was a poster from the music rock opera Hair. Nearly every free space had a photo or a piece of memorabillia from a bygone era in the city.

It would be a long time before the bartender who was working the recent post-holiday shift could get over this tragedy. Maybe never. After the onslaught of press, journalists and camera crews he was not in the mood for any more.

”Why should I talk to you about something so personal,?” he asked the inquiring reporter. “You’re a stranger.” He would not give his name or whether he was the man who had discovered the bouncer prone on the sidewalk in the early morning hours of Dec. 23. The police report said only that a bartender put in the call to 911 that fateful night.

”I knew him for 20 years,” the bartender on the slow Tuesday finally said. “He was a great friend that I loved very much. That’s all I’m gonna say.”

The woman behind the bar on the day shift the next morning said pretty much the same. “He could make you happy,” she said. “He was always laughing.”

On the night in question the bartender on duty ran to the doorway to tend to his stricken friend. Misplaced rage, which the city sees way to much of these days, more than robbery seemed to be the motive for the senseless assault. The assailant had disappeared into the night. EMS was called and Patterson was rushed to Bellevue on the East side.

But he never regained consciousness. “The intensive car he received was unfortunately not enough to revive his mind,” wrote his daughter Arianna Buchholtz in a Go Fund Me post that by Jan 5 had raised over $22,000 for the family.

The stats say the murder rate dropped in NYC last year, but for the family of Patterson, one of the last homicide victims of the year, that was no consolation.

When WPIX showed up, his wife Melissa Buchholz said this tragedy had taken away her best friend, a wonderful father, and a friend.

“It’s just a real doggone shame, ya know? My heart is very heavy,” Melissa Buchholz said. “And the more I speak of him, the more I get that rock in my throat. I would like him to come home,” she added.

Melissa Buchholz told Kerry Burke of the Daily News that she was informed her husband was brain dead two days after the assault--on the morning of Christmas Day.

The police actually listed his date of death as Dec. 25th.

But the family knew he had one more gift to give before he said goodbye to this earth.

For five days, they kept him on life support. The 61 year old Air Force veteran was listed as an organ donor and now one of his kidneys was reportedly going to help his ailing younger sister. Other organs went to total strangers.

“My father was such a strong, honorable person and was always quick to make us laugh!,” his daughter wrote. “We will love you dearly always and forever.”

Bar patron Christopher Brunt, who donated $100 said on the daughter’s Go Fund Me page: “All we did together was laugh. And he was incredibly proud of you. I felt like I knew you from the stories he would share. He would light up when talking about you. Everyone I’ve ever brought into that bar - I made to sure to introduce him and by the end of the night they all felt like he was their friend. That’s the impact he had. I’ll never forget him and our talks and his infectious laugh...”

The assailant was described by cops as a “male, dark complexion, approximately 40 to 50 years of age, heavy build, bald and was last seen wearing a red Champion hoodie sweater, black jacket, black pants and black sneakers.” Police released a picture and video of the assailant and anyone with any info is asked to call 1-800-Crimestoppers.

His 25 year old daughter, in her first Christmas without her dad, tried to stay hopeful on the most painful day in her life.

“He may not be able to continue on this earth, but his contribution will ensure that others can,” Buchholz wrote.