February 21, 1931 - October 29, 2019
Loving father, devoted husband, caring brother, and kindly neighbour to all. Pat left us on October 29th, 2019, in Chilliwack, BC. He is survived by his siblings Mary, Ruby, Rosalie, and Michael (Norma); son Wren (Jean), daughter Cindy; grandchildren Andrea, Jesse (Niki), Christopher (Kelly), Craig, Melissa, and Kurt; and his inseparable companion of the past 68 years, wife Fluella (Flo). A man of courtesy and warmth, we are less without him.
Pat was born in Burn's Lake, BC. His family moved to North Burnaby when he was a teenager, where Pat attended Vancouver Technical School, worked in a hardware store, and taught ballroom dancing. At age of nineteen he met the love of his life, Flo, whom he married in 1952. With family in tow, Pat blazed through BC wilderness as a forest ranger for 35 years before retiring in 1986. For the next twelve years he and Flo were snowbirds, travelling across North America (this time with trailer in tow), never staying put for long before settling in Chilliwack in 1998.
Pat loved the wilderness and working with his hands. A Canadianized seanchal of the Irish diaspora (even using "shanakey1" in his email address as a testament to his love of storytelling), he spun stories for hours on end seldom arriving at the point he had promised - and that was alright, as the point was to be found in the exchange of telling and listening.
Pat fell ill in late September 2019. He left us on the evening of October 29th, 2019 with family by his side. Not once did he complain for his own sake.