Patricia Hyde
Former Lady Mayoress
PATRICIA HYDE, who has died at 89, was a former Lady Mayoress of Leeds and a past president of the Inner Wheel Club in the city.
Born Patricia Fleming, she lived in the East End Park area of Leeds before moving with her family to Cross Gates, where she attended the local primary School and then Clark’s College in the centre of Leeds.
She started work at Martins Bank, in Park Row, in 1949, as a clerk and secretary, while pursuing out-of-hours interests in dancing and cycling.
She met Bill, her future husband, when they were both 12, travelling to their respective schools by train from Cross Gates Station. They went their separate ways after school but met again in 1952, while Bill came home on leave from the army. They were married at St Mary’s Church, Whitkirk, in September 1956 while Bill was back in the forces, having been recalled from the reserves during the Suez Crisis.
Afterwards, he went to work for Marks and Spencer and the family moved to Huddersfield, then Scarborough, Sheffield and finally London, where
Bill working in mail order management, before returning to Leeds.
In 1969 Pat became a partner in the family newsagents business, Hyde’s in Manston. She became a leader of the local Brownies and went on to serve as a Guider and Cross Gates District Commissioner from 1970 to 2000.
She was also a Governor of Manston and Colton Primary Schools and travelled widely around Yorkshire speaking to meetings in support of the newly launched Martin House Hospice Appeal.
In 1973, Bill was elected to the Halton Ward of Leeds City Council, a role that saw Pat becoming Deputy Lady Mayoress in 1985 and then Lady Mayoress, two decades later, a role she relished.
In 1990 Pat and Bill moved to Colton, where they became involved in church work, with Pat taking communion to housebound parishioners. A keen embroiderer she also worked with a group making vestments and banners, and served on the Mothers Union committee. She joined the Leeds Inner Wheel club in 2006 and was elected its president in 2012.
She is survived by Bill, her daughters and granddaughter.