Patricia (Eleanor Patricia Wallace) passed away peacefully in Vancouver with her daughters by her side.
Born in Toronto of David Wallace and Doris Hays on December 7th,1929, she joined older brother Robert Wallace. Pat is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law Brenda and Bruce Kenny, and Martha and Mike Sales. She will be missed by grandchildren and great grandchildren, Alex Kenny (Karee), Stephen Kenny (Jessica, great grandchildren Oliver, Kiora, and Denali), Adam Kenny, Madeline and Harriet Sales. Her loving husband, Ross Edwin, predeceased Pat in 1993. Although she lost Ross 31 years ago, she lived retirement bravely with enthusiasm, curiousity and a love of family, nature, travel and community.
Pat was raised in Montreal and spent her childhood summers with her mother’s extended family on the shores of Lake Huron. As a young girl, she had curly red hair – a symbol of her playful and spirited personality that endured throughout her life. She attended McGill University where she studied Economics and Geography and played varsity basketball. It was at McGill where she met Ross and married on September 24, 1954.
In their first years of marriage, they lived in Beaconsfield where they raised their family and built a 26-foot sailboat which became a central part of family life going forward (important to note, Mom taught Dad to sail!). Pat was an active volunteer in many capacities including at schools, community organizations, and in their newly created charter church, Beaconsfield United. A move to New Hampshire in 1977 opened new paths including being a docent at the Montshire Museum of Science. Retiring to Kingston, Ontario in 1989, Pat continued her advocacy and voluntarism.
Her most cherished place was the family cottage on the Big Rideau Lake. It is there where her love of nature and environmental conservation was most fulfilled. Paddling her red canoe on flat glassy water and being with beloved friends and family was the central joy of cottage life.
Pat was a woman with strong convictions and lived life with tremendous kindness and playfulness. Over these past several days we have reflected on the arc of her lifetime, from 1929 to 2024, and we have been reminded of the incredible shifts in social dynamics and political circumstances that she lived through. We found especially noteworthy that just a few weeks before her birth, October 18th,1929 is the day when the historic decision to include women in the legal definition of “persons” was handed down by Canada’s highest court of appeal.
The family would like to acknowledge the remarkable staff at South Granville Park Lodge in Vancouver where Pat lived these past 8 years. With eternal gratitude to the care team who supported mom with kindness, dignity and love.
She and her beautiful smile will be greatly missed as a spirit of enthusiasm, generosity, and love.
In lieu of flowers, a donation in her memory may be made to the Rideau Lakes Environmental Foundation through the Canada Helps website at: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/11990