In loving memory of the late Patricia Castle who sadly passed away on 15th April 2015.
Eulogy
Mum, Nan, Mother in law, Sister in law, Auntie, and Pat. We all knew her by our own name, depending on our relationship with her. Most of you knew her as Pat though so that's the name we've chosen to use today.
Pat was born on the 30th July 1939 in Llandaff, Cardiff, the youngest of 3 children. Her father was working there for the Newspaper industry and then later joined the RAF during the war. Sadly, their house in Cardiff was bombed and the family was evacuated to Longtown near Abergavenny. Pat had fond memories of her time there - apart from when a sheep followed her home from school and continued to follow her up the stairs to her bedroom! Needless to say, her mother was not impressed. During this time Pat's mother became very ill and her father was called back from India on compassionate leave to look after her.
After the war Pat's father's job as a Sales Rep for the Daily Mail took them to Ipswich where they lived in a hotel for a while. They then moved to Walton in Felixstowe where Pat spent most of her schooldays. This was a particularly happy time for Pat, even though her mother was often very poorly. She loved the seaside and hankered after the sea for the rest of her life. She recently went back to the area with her daughter, Sue, on a couple of occasions where she thoroughly enjoyed showing Sue her old houses and schools. On one visit they had a lovely reunion with several of her old school friends with whom she had kept in touch over the years.
Pat left school at 15 and worked at the Convalescent Home in Felixstowe. A year later she worked at the National Children's Home and then began her training as a Children's Nurse aged 18. She had always wanted to be a nurse, especially with children, but this career was cut short by her father's work moving him to Peterborough. He didn't let her stay in Felixstowe to complete her training so Pat did 2 years pre-nursing training at the Memorial Hospital in Peterborough followed by a year of Nursing training. She made many good friends there and had many happy times. She also met her husband to be, Ron, at the Jock McCullough Dance School. She went there with some nursing friends and they met Ron and his brother Hugh. Hugh walked one of Pat's friends home expecting Ron to walk Pat back to the nursing home but, instead, he left her at the Town Bridge! Pat and Ron went out a few times and then Ron found out that Pat was nearly 5 years younger than him. He thought she was far too young so decided he was going to finish with her - but in the end realised he couldn't! The rest, as they say, is history!
In the meantime, Pat's father's work had caused her parents to move again, this time to Worcester Park, Surrey. This time, her father agreed that she could stay and continue her training. However, after the first year of nursing training proper, Pat's mother became very ill again so she gave up her nursing and went home to look after her. She worked full time checking foreign bank notes, as well as nursing her mother and looking after her father and the house. Pat and Ron continued to see each other with Ron travelling down to Surrey one weekend and Pat travelling up to Peterborough the other. Pat's parents didn't approve of Ron though, not liking his crepe soled shoes - Elvis Presley has a lot answer for!
Sadly, after a difficult childhood, Pat's relationship with her father deteriorated and she left home to move back to Peterborough and marry Ron.
They were married on the 12 September 1959 at King's Dyke Chapel near Whittlesey. After the reception at Ron's parents' house, they left for their honeymoon in Scarborough. They borrowed Ron's father's car but this gave them carbon monoxide poisoning so Pat's pale blue negligee was a little wasted, because they were sick all night!
They stayed in lodgings for a couple of years until they got their first house with the London Brick company in Fletton. Their daughter, Sue, was born in 1962, and with their first granddaughter being born, Pat's parents were happily reconciled with them. The family moved to London Road later that year and I was born there in 1965.
In 1972 Pat passed her typing exams at the Technical College and got a job as School Secretary at Dogsthorpe Junior School. She later worked as a Packer at Freeman's catalogue company from where she finally retired.
Pat loved her family and liked nothing more than to have everyone together for a family occasion. And this applied to her extended family and her in-laws too. She kept in touch with everyone, interested in all their news and passed it on to the rest of the family.
Pat was a very caring person, often to the detriment of her own health. Having looked after her mother and father, she then cared for her new family, especially Sue who needed more care than most children due to illness. She was always there for any friends or relatives who needed help in any way and, of course, cared for Ron at the end of his life.
Pat and Ron had many good friends and they loved to spend time with them either entertaining at home or going out with them. Pat was usually the life and soul of the party and we could mention rides in supermarket trolleys up the High Street, looking up a Scotsman's kilt and getting very lost in foreign climes on more than one occasion! But there are several people here today who will be more than happy to tell quite a few lively tales!
Pat was a very good cook and loved people to enjoy a meal she'd prepared for them. It was another way for her to care for others. A recent chat with Sue sums this up - on talking about what she wanted for her funeral (we've had very full instructions!) she did say that she had one frustration. Sue asked what that was, hoping she might be able to help. Pat replied that she would like to be able to come back in a couple of weeks to find out who came to her funeral and whether they had enjoyed the food! Sue's promised to text her!
Both Pat and Ron loved their holidays abroad as well as their time spent away in their beloved caravan. They made many great friends with whom they kept in touch over the years, many of whom managed to visit Pat in the last few weeks. She thoroughly enjoyed all her visits from friends and family in the last few months and they really cheered her up and lifted her spirits.
Pat was very proud of both her children as well her three grandchildren. She may not have seen Hannah, Joe and Kieran as much as she would have liked but they were still very close and she loved to get phone calls, texts and to see what they were up to via Facebook!
After Ron died Pat missed him greatly but she managed to forge a life for herself, making some new friends and travelling far and wide to visit family, old friends and new places. But it could never be the same for her, of course. Life just wasn't the same.
We've had so many kind cards and messages saying what a lovely person Pat was and how much she will be missed. One in particular sums their (and our) sentiments up perfectly. It is from Keith, an old work colleague of Ron's who knew them both very well:
"Whilst the world has lost a beautiful spirit, heaven will have just become a lot noisier and a lot more fun once Pat and Ron are back together again!"
May they be at peace and may they be happy.
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