Further memories of Pat from other friends ...
Pre his bike accident - loved playing squash, was better than your average player.
Loved camping out...just tossed his sleeping bag on the round and slept under the stars.
Was generous to a fault and always there for a friend.
Was a geophysicist by profession but loved geology and learning about how our earth was formed.
Enjoyed various music genres - listened to the burble of an Abo's didgeridoo in Outback Australia, Eskimo drumming in Kotzebue, Alaska to the swinging jazz of New Orlean's Preservation Hall.
Enjoyed travel - Australia, Canada coast to coast, London, Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, Tetuan, Morocco, Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan, Egypt and along extensive byways of the US Western States.
Specially loved BC's interior, traveled the narrow and neglected back road, the old stage coach road from Likely to Barkerville climbing over Yank's Peak and past abandoned ghost gold towns.
Enjoyed the bargains to be found at garage sales.
Was curious about everything!!! from alien UFO's in outer space to the underground intricacies of a termite's mound.
Has a huge collection of books, was always reading non fiction material, bought copies of specially interesting books to distribute to family and friends.
He enjoyed being with people...specially talking to people and sharing his stories...many of which 'grew' with the telling. Sometimes Pat was the sole speaker ... monologue or soliloquy style.
When traveling alone he would often pick up hitchhikers, a genuine 'captive' audience on which he could expound his ideas, theories, stories and tales.
His pride and joy, probably his favourite place to be, was the property along the James River and the cabin he built and designed from an initial one room (with living pine tree inside) to its current two levels and more in size. The pine tree, needless to say, is now long gone... Friends and family assisted with its construction, shared many outdoor cooked meals together.
This past year was difficult as Pat's brain tumour slowly progressed and lower body blood circulation issues developed. Yet...no matter when family or friends visited, Pat's response to "How are you doing?" was always 'Fantastic!". To Pat, others were always in a worse off situation.
Pat never stopped sharing the stories he had to tell...
