MCEACHERN, Florence Patricia “Pat” - Passed away on April 21, 2020.
Pat lived a very full and exciting life. As a young woman she loved big bands and loved to dance with her friends despite her congenital hip dysplasia - which did not stop her. She was athletic: she greatly enjoyed downhill skiing, bike riding, and swimming.
She especially loved her pristine white 1967 Camero which she drove with pride and photographed often.
Pat had a loving friend ship with two neighborhood children Brenda and Daniela. The young girls would excitedly scurry up to her door and begin ringing her doorbell practically every day until she finally answered. The three would enjoy their time and company on her back porch drinking limeade as the girls always pondered how she could grow so many flowers in her garden. She also often had to chase the girls out of her garden and gave them flack for the chronic childish rock-throwing, after she spent hours picking rocks out of her flower beds.
Brenda and Daniela enjoyed passing the afternoon playing in her backyard and would explored her home filled with antiques, old fashioned telephones, Brewster the huge stuffed Dog, and a basement filled old photos until their parents made them go home, which was next door and across the street. Pat also took to knitting Barbie clothing for their girls to enjoy on their dolls. Pat loved that home so much that she had a painting commissioned of the home.
Eventually she made the decision and sold her beloved home on Bowie Ave, Toronto and moved to London, Ontario where that commissioned painting followed her to her new home as a treasured reminder.
As a university student at Western Brenda would visit Pat’s home in London and would continue to sit in her living room drinking sherry and eat cookies, something she always enjoyed.
Even when she had to have her driver’s license revoked and moved her to a retirement home (which she was not fond of and had the portrait of Bowie Ave with her) Brenda tried to keep up the tradition until she began to really decompensate. Those early years became a part of vivid distant memories.
Brenda eventually became a Nurse Practitioner and has been overseeing her health for many years, and Daniela a Funeral Director; is now lovingly managing her final affairs. The women both have families of our own and Pat had the opportunity watch the girls grow into strong successful women and have families of their own. It seems that they have come a long way with roles reversed.
This reflection of so much time passing with the associated myriad of changes, accomplishments and memories is bittersweet and fills us all with sincere emotions; not for her final days but for a whole life lived, and how she was always a part of ours. She was a good friend and somewhat of a pseudo-grandmother.
Pat was very independent and always lived on her own, in her own meticulously kept home until just a few years ago; and we know that she didn’t ever want to rely on anyone or be a burden. She was a proud and particular woman, but had a heart for the few people she loved.
Thank you for loving us as children and as adults. Thank you for the many good memories and teaching us how to be little ladies.
We love you and adore you and will always miss you (especially the fun plastic heart bracelets you would give to us).
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