After a long illness, our beloved mother passed away peacefully at home with her family by her side in her 89th year. She is survived by her devoted husband Colin of 61years, her 4 children Christopher (Jane), Claire (Paul), Brendan, and Maureen (James), her 7 grandchildren John, Meredith, Matthew, Madeleine, Connor, Sean, Finley, her sister Lesley and sister-in-law Patricia. Mum said it was her husband and family that brought her the most joy.

Patricia was born in Rutherglen, Scotland on St. Patrick’s Day. She was proud of her Scottish heritage that was a source of her strength and no-nonsense attitude. She was exceptionally bright, winning the academic medal at school and keeping everyone engaged with her quick wit and incredible sense of humour. An avid reader, particularly mystery novels, and boundless enthusiast of British history, she was a stickler for proper grammar and not a day went by where the cryptic crossword was left uncompleted.

In 1952, at age 17, Patricia sailed on the Queen Mary immigrating to the United States to join her two aunts, eventually moving to Montreal where she took a job in a radio station. It was Montreal’s Newman Club, where she met the love of her life, Colin Connor. They were engaged 6 months after meeting and married three months later, on January 19, 1963. Colin’s career moved them from Montreal to Calgary to Vancouver and Toronto where they raised their family in Moore Park before returning to live permanently in Vancouver 26 years ago. She loved being close to the mountains and the sea.

Though busy parenting four children, mum still managed to find time for others while always continuing to learn and challenge herself. She loved volunteering as an English teacher to Portuguese families new to Canada. She eventually studied for and received her Real Estate License with the practical yet determined goal of selling just enough houses to justify the tuition for the course. Instead, she became an industry leader, consistently selling in the top percent nationally. Despite her hard work and success, she was still always available for her family, the most important aspect of her life. No matter what she was doing if her children needed her, she was there.

Patricia continued her real estate career in Vancouver for another few years. Always involved in the church community, she was a eucharistic minister for many years at St. Augustine' Church. Upon retirement, she naturally found another challenge and studied to become a Docent at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Throughout all her moves and endeavours, mum cherished and carried with her the many friends she made along the way.

Her best friend was of course her beloved Colin. They enjoyed a love for travelling. No one could pack a suitcase like Patricia, with no tiny space left unused, everything you wanted made it in. They shared their passion with their children as well. The many family trips full of laughter and adventure are some of the fondest memories we share.  We have many memories of sitting in the car while they found yet another antique store to explore. They loved to dance and the seamless way they glided across the floor was a metaphor to how they approached their marriage as a partnership. People would stop on the dance floor to watch. It was magical to witness and their smiles infectious.

Strong and fiercely independent, Patricia loved to drive and said how much she missed it when it was no longer possible for her to be behind the wheel. Always impeccably dressed and poised -never without her lipstick - she loved to shop, especially for shoes. She used to say shoes and jewellery are like people and you need to take them out for a while. Manhattan was her signature drink- extra cherries!  She had a soft spot for all animals and a dislike of spiders which she called, “wee beasties”. Her faithful companion, Molly the cat, never left her side right to the end. Patricia’s illness may have robbed her of her independence, but it did not alter her dignity and good nature. She epitomized grace.

Molly now wanders the house a little lost, as we all do. The solid ground has disappeared from beneath us. For a woman who did not grow up with a mother nor know a mother’s love, she was the most loving, caring, and extraordinary mother herself. She showed the love for her children to the end. Knowing we would feel adrift without her, she told each of us not to be sad because she will always be with us.  As goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes, we will simply say….Good Night Dearie.

Use Proper grammar
Send Thank You Notes
Value Your Friends
Never Go to Bed Angry
Take Advantage of Every Opportunity
Do the Best You Can Whenever You Can
Always Be Kind

“I can’t think about this now…. I’ll think about it tomorrow.”

Scarlett O’Hara