Obituary.
PAT PATRICK 1943-2009
Thursday March 26th saw St. Denys Church filled to capacity for an evocative and beautifully moving funeral service for Pat Patrick which was conducted by the Revd. Michael Petitt.
Her brother, Trevor Foss, gave the Eulogy which truly portrayed the Pat we knew, loved and respected and included stories that reminded us of her great sense of fun. One of his most telling remarks was how generous Pat was with her time. Most of us knew this but Trevor’s listing of her wide-ranging commitments underlined how extensive these were.
For the twelve years prior to her illness she was a forthright member of the Parish Council. She was an active member of the W.I. and helped clean St. Denys Church. When her husband, John was Chairman of the Playing Field’s Committee she worked to raise funds for the pavilion.
The Pocket Park, which she helped to establish, was a very special place for her. Her annual coffee mornings raised funds for MacMillan Cancer Relief. She also raised money for the Cynthia Spencer Hospice, Riding for the Disabled and Christian Aid.
Pat also helped adults with reading problems and spent some time as a Prison Visitor. Donations by Pat and John around 1993 gave the start to the Greenbelt Foundation in Tanzania. This foundation has now planted some 360,000 trees to arrest the degradation of the soil and provide jobs, wood and food.
If Pat hated anything it was litter! She organised the Annual Village Litter Pick and always carried a bag to collect rubbish when out walking. (She also found time to distribute this Newsletter to the houses in the High Street).
Pat was a true country girl, brought up on the family farm in Ravensthorpe. She was an excellent rider and loved the outdoors and gardening. Their garden was in the “Yellow Book” for years. She was the mother of two daughters, one of whom lives in Australia, and she and John would visit many countries on their annual journeys to see her. This included visiting Tanzania to see the work of the Foundation. As well as two daughters and a step-son she had six grandchildren.
Pat will be sadly missed and honoured for her bravery in coping with her last, long illness. The village has lost a great lady and our sympathy goes out to John and all her family and many friends.