These traits were illustrated in a number of the stories shared by speakers at Pat’s funeral service on December 2. His generosity was on display
when he heard a support staff person mention an unexpected medical expense that she couldn’t pay. Pat went to his office and returned with a cheque for her. She said that she would repay him when she could, and Pat told her not to worry if she couldn’t. His creativity and somewhat irreverent nature were revealed when he joined with Jerry Zabel to teach a workshop on Electronic Spread Sheets that Jerry had offered the previous semester. The first thing Pat did was change the title to Spread Sheets Cover More Than Beds. It is hard to imagine a more colourful Pat than the fellow who spent numerous winters in Arizona. He liked to go into town wearing a holstered six shooter, a ten gallon hat, jewelry on his fingers, wrists and belt buckle, and a leather range coat that went down to mid-calf in a manner reminiscent of The Rifleman in the old TV show.
One of Pat’s interesting adventures occurred when he was manager of physical plant at the College. There had been a problem with recurring petty thefts. Pat was determined to catch the thief and recruited one of his staff to hide with him in a large storage closet – ready to jump out and pounce on the thief. But the thief never appeared because the thief was the guy in the closet with Pat.
Pat was a successful author, with a number of articles and exercises published in the Training Annual of University Associates, a California Company. The Annuals were used throughout North America. When UA published an anthology of the top articles over the years, they included Management at Ground Zero: From Theory to Practice, by Pat and co-author Dick Tindal. He also did a lot of training for the College with outside organizations such as KGH and the Frontenac County School Board.
Pat is survived by his wife Karen, daughter Marianne, granddaughter Avery, stepsons Craig and Derek, and brothers Ron and Harold.