PATRICIA ANNE THAIN

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PATRICIA ANNE THAIN Gramma Pat passed away peacefully on December 23, 2008 at Portage District General Hospital, at the age of 80. She went to be with her husband Doug, who left us in 1979. Patricia Anne Jennings was born in Kenilworth, England on May 9, 1928. She came to Canada in 1956 on a teacher's exchange program, and taught in Toronto before sightseeing in western Canada for the summer of 1957. After finishing her teaching commitment out east, she returned to England, then back to Canada for good. She taught at Balmoral Hall School in Winnipeg from 1957 to 1959, then North Memorial School from 1959 to 1961 and Southridge School from 1961 to 1962. She married Doug Thain in August 1961 and together they raised their two sons on the farm south of Portage. She returned to work at the Portage Library in 1970, then on to teaching kindergarten at Oakville School in 1973 until her eventual retirement in 1993. Family was everything to Pat. She especially enjoyed time with her four grandchildren and found much joy in following their accomplishments. As a retired kindergarten teacher, her time with them as toddlers and pre-schoolers was a time of learning, sharing and outdoor adventures. She was a member of the St. Luke's Anglican Church in Oakville and Trinity United Church in Portage. A very independent person, she was always in support of travel, education and all things outdoors . In particular, camping, cross country skiing, cycling, hiking, and swimming in our cold Manitoba lakes. She spent a lot of time tending to her lawn and gardens and was a very proud host to many outdoor wiener roasts that often included a glass of wine or apple cider. Together with her friends in the Natural History Society, she has spent interesting times outdoors with such activities as the annual Christmas Bird Count . Pat spent most of her life in the Oakville and Portage area, but was delighted at finally becoming a Canadian Citizen during an official ceremony in Winnipeg in 2003. Pat was proud of the fact that she had crossed the Atlantic a total of 51 times throughout her life, during both war and peace. In all, she had set foot on four continents (Africa, Australia, Europe and North America) and over 20 countries within them. Here in Canada, her travels took her from the West (such as skiing near Victoria), to the East (such as kayaking in Labrador), to our North (panning for gold in Dawson City and dog sledding in Inuvik). Predeceased by her parents, Walter and Stella Jennings of England, and her husband Doug, she leaves to celebrate her life, her two sons Richard (Leanne) and Robert (Susan), and her four grandchildren Ryan, Braden, Stuart and Kelsey. Gramma Pat .you will be sadly missed by your family and friends. A memorial service will be held in the Chapel of the Omega Funeral Home on January 2, 2009 at 1:30 p.m., with Rev. Fraser Hunter officiating. A private interment will be held, prior to this service. Should friends so desire, memorial donations may be made to Central Plains CancerCare, 318 Saskatchewan Ave. E., Portage la Prairie, MB, R1N 0K8. A tribute DVD in memory of Pat will be produced by the Omega Funeral Home, condolences may be sent to the family c/o Omega Funeral Home, 83 Royal Road South, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, R1N 1T8 or friends may leave a message of sympathy on our website www.omegafuneralhome.com Dedicated to those we serve .

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 30, 2008