Versatile stalwart of Little Theatre passes away Long-standing member of the community performed in shows for more than 30 years

THE death of Pat Sutcliffe means that Southport has lost one of its senior citizens and longstanding members of the community, someone who made a valued contribution to the cultural and economic life of the town.

A native of the North East, Pat moved to Southport with her husband Peter in 1963.

Peter Sutcliffe’s death and contribution to the sporting life of Southport was recently reported by The Visiter, and Pat died just four days after him.

One of Pat’s passions was amateur dramatics, and not long after moving to the town she joined the Southport Dramatic Club at the Little Theatre, where she became one of the club’s foremost actresses.

She was cast in leading roles in almost every season for 30 years from the late 1960s. Particular stand-out performances included her powerful portrayal of Mary Queen of Scots in Vivat Vivat Regina and her moving telling of the story of Helen Keller’s teacher Anne Sullivan in The Miracle Worker.

Pat was a most versatile actress who never failed to find and show the depths of the characters she was cast to portray.

It was a natural move for her to become involved in the play selection and casting committee which she joined in the 1970s and then later chaired.

During this time she always tried to select a broad range of plays to both entertain and challenge the audiences.

Pat also directed a number of plays during this time and she never failed to bring out the full range of characters and the nuances of the plot. She was a highly respected and loved member of the SDC throughout her life.

In her professional life Pat joined the famous Wayfarer’s Arts company in 1978 as a buyer in the jewelry department.

Such was her success in developing its range and sales that the owner of the business, Arthur Pedlar, appointed her to buy for all the gift departments on the downstairs floor of the shop, and before long her continuing

Pat Sutcliffe of Southport success in this role led to her being appointed to the board of directors.

Wayfarer’s under her guidance became the go-to shop in Southport for exquisite and tasteful gifts, cards, jewelry and toys.

Pat retired from Wayfarer’s in 1994 and she and Peter then spent much of their retirement in south west France where they bought and restored a property which became a holiday destination for their own family and the very many friends they had made during their lives in Southport.

Pat was also a stalwart and much loved member of the United Reformed Church in Ainsdale, where she will also be greatly missed.

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