Fulfilling life for Armistice baby
Evelyn King Patrick died in Invercargill on April 12, leaving her family the treasured silver christening mug presented at her birth to World War I returned soldier Francis King and his wife Winifred, the inscription commemorating the arrival of the first child born in Manawatu to a returned serviceman.
That auspicious beginning was a sign of things to come, with Evelyn living a long, happy, fulfilling life.
In the UK she’d be seen as a doing-good society lady.
If she were in the United States she’d be honoured as a loyal club woman.
But in Southland she has been treasured for 90-something years as a good sort, someone whose long and fulfilling life has been spent in the south bringing friendship, order, joy and comfort to countless others.
She was born in Manawatu and marriage brought her to Invercargill where she became happily involved in city activities.
With her husband Gregor, she settled in their first home at 98 Bourke St.
They stayed in that home for nearly 30 years and the garden was a showpiece.
Greg, a qualified motor mechanic, was working for C H Faul.
This year it fell to Alva Faul to decipher the tiny fine handwriting of the memoirs Evelyn had begun to collate, heading her own life story, No Dull Moments. She had that right. At every stage Patrick made her mark, from driving her powderblue Morris Minor daily for 51 years, to club memberships of 60 years, working through her officebearer roles, becoming a life member, patron and happy to be part of the action.
She was loyal, committed, gracious and kind and brought her best to every gathering, long-time friend Daphne Spencer said.
Greg was Invercargill’s first traffic inspector, working for the city council.
He was a renowned Southland bowler, playing in national tournaments all over New Zealand, and always accompanied by his wife.
At the same time Patrick maintained many of her own interests, which stood her in good stead after Greg died and she was left a widow and childless.
But she belonged to the Queens Park Ladies Golf Club, the Southland Travel Club, bridge circle, Society of NZ Travel Clubs, the Royal Over-Seas League, president of each, life member of all and patron of the Southland Travel Club since 2002.
Lynley McKerrow spoke eloquently of the interests in Evelyn Patrick’s life at her farewell last week.
For more than 50 years Patrick in her blue Morris 1000 was a familiar sight.
She was the ‘‘only lady founding member’’ of the Southland Morris Minor Club and was still driving in 2014, albeit in a Toyota Starlet in those last years.
Patrick had moved into cottage 47 at Peacehaven in 2002 and cared for herself happily there until a stroke last year diminished her independence.
She went into full-time care at Bupa’s Ascot Rest Home and died there on April 12.
When McKerrow asked people to form a guard of honour at Frasers chapel, half the congregation stood up.
Patrick leaves her nieces and nephews into another generation, a host of friends – bridge players, golfers and gardeners – and well kept records of every organisation she was involved with, from the Invercargill Red Cross of the immediate after-war years to Invercargill’s University of the Third Age, U3A, today.