PATRICIA YATES

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PATRICIA YATES Born in London, England, November 20, 1919, Patricia Yates (née) O'Driscoll, wife of the late Dr. Denis Yates, has lived the past half century of her life in Virden, Manitoba. An intellectual and an avid book reader from an early age, Paddy met the love of her life, Denis Yates, at a school sports event when she was only 11. After meeting again at a school dance, they started dating at 16, married at 23 - one week before Denis began his work as a medical officer with the British Navy - and continued their love affair until Denis's death four years ago. To give their first five daughters the chance to experience a fuller life than England could offer after the Second World War - they immigrated to Canada in 1952 with the Canadian Army. First in Calgary, then in Winnipeg where two more daughters were born. Paddy stimulated and challenged her daughters to learn about this new country to which they'd come. Although at times she might have regretted leaving her rich London life, looking back was not her way. Instead, when the family settled in Virden in 1957, Paddy brought London with her - directing theatre, helping with homework, organizing local performances by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Stratford Festival Players and engaging anyone who came into her home with conversation laced with ideas about books and people, sports and world personalities. The friend of bishops and cowboys, Paddy Yates listened and learned and always found the best in anyone she knew. From Manhattan to Victoria, designers, writers, artists, architects, filmmakers, musicians, horsemen and all she met: Nan cherished them all. To her grandchildren, she brought wisdom and a worldly outlook, teaching them to love home and appreciate a broader world filled with symphonies and art, theatre and books and always the CBC. If you put it on the table, she read it and talked about it critically and with enthusiasm. If she didn't have the answer to your question, she looked it up. Paddy Yates died on Friday, June 15, 2007, in her own home enjoying a glass of wine with her family and her faithful dog Sal and granddog Pickles. She will be sorely missed by her daughters, Ruth, Sarah, Gabrielle, Rebecca (who predeceased her in 2002), Fiona, Charlotte and Jocelyn; 17 grandchildren, Manya (who died in 1976), Joshua, Sacha, Alistair, Zoe, Amanda, Simone Rose, Pablo, Thomas, Emerson, Bronwen, June, Pascal, Gemma, Desmond, Emma and Ned; great-granddaughter Harley May, by her sons-in-law (Keith, Ted, Michael, Glen, Warren, Bob and Shawne); granddaughters- and grandsons-in-law (Erin, Zack, Mike and Felicity), her English family and all of her friends across Canada and especially in Virden. She's reunited with Dad now. For all of the encouragement, love and generosity we've been given, we don't know what to say but Thank you Mum. We love you Nan.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 30, 2007