Patricia Ann Fisher (née Friend) passed away peacefully at the age of 80 on Saturday, February 3, 2024, at La Verendrye General Hospital. Over her final days, she was surrounded by the love of her friends and family.
Pat was born March 25, 1943, in Birmingham, England, to Enoch and Doris Friend. By her own admission she was an average student and not particularly sporty, although she did enjoy playing rounders and field hockey. She never understood why everyone was so enamoured with Elvis or The Beatles. Older sister to Michael and Christine, Pat began her career in 1960 as a shorthand typist at Barclays Bank in Birmingham, before enrolling in the Queen Elizabeth School of Nursing in 1962. Upon graduating she became a staff nurse in the Emergency Department at the Birmingham General Hospital. She worked as a midwife at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Hertfordshire and Horton Maternity Hospital in Oxfordshire. Throughout her whole career, she most loved working in maternity wards. In 1968 Pat joined Her Majesty’s Prison Service as a Charge Nurse at HM Holloway Prison for Women in London. She had many stories of her time working with inmates there, including learning from a patient all of the steps and materials required to make a bomb. Her time as a nurse in England was completed where it began as a Charge Nurse at Birmingham General Hospital.
Pat recalled her time in England fondly, especially the years she spent in London. On her days off, she loved to walk around the city. She enjoyed telling the story of how one day she came across a very long lineup of people. Not having the faintest idea what the lineup was for, she joined it. And that’s how Pat got to see King Tutankhamen’s sarcophagus in the British Museum.
Pat enjoyed many trips across Europe to France, San Marino, Turkey and many other countries. She had particularly fond memories of visiting the former Yugoslavia. On one trip to Italy, not knowing any Italian at all, she and three of her friends got themselves lost in Rome after checking into their hotel and failing to write down the name of it or the address. Thankfully an Italian taxi driver eventually got them back safe and sound after several hours of driving around the city in search of the hotel they may or may not recognize.
In 1972, Pat joined the Red Cross and came to Canada for a posting in Red Lake, Ontario. Her second choice was to go to Australia, which she mentioned often when it was -30 and dark outside. After two years in Red Lake, she transferred to Emo, which would become her home for the rest of her life. She also worked many years as a home care nurse in Emo and Rainy River, before finishing her career at La Verendrye General Hospital in Fort Frances in 2010. In total, Pat dedicated 48 years to her profession. She was known as a kind and compassionate nurse.
Pat had a lifelong relationship with her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. She always said she truly let him into her life when she volunteered at a Billy Graham revival event in London. She attended various churches her entire life. Her church family was as important to her as anyone else. In the last years of her life, the Calvary Baptist Church community in Emo was particularly helpful and supportive of her.
Pat became a farmer’s wife on July 17, 1976, when she married Edward and moved to the Fisher farm south of Emo. By her own admission, she was not particularly good at the farming part of the equation, having difficulty not getting the hay rake hung up on the tractor tire when making turns. When she first moved to the farm, Pat realized it was perhaps a bit more rustic than she was accustomed to. An early source of strife in their marriage was that she insisted Ed not keep a shotgun in the bathroom, behind the toilet. They welcomed Claire in 1978 and Charles followed in 1982. Although they did not always have the smoothest of marriages, Pat always said that their last two years together were by far their best.
After Ed passed away in 1994, Pat stayed on the farm until moving to Walker Street in Emo in 2005. She faced many challenges during this time as a single mother raising two kids working full time and struggling to make ends meet. Pat supported her children in all of their activities. She enjoyed attending school plays and musicals. She wasn’t as thrilled about cold arenas.
After moving into Emo, Pat became very close with many of her neighbours. She enjoyed volunteering at the Emo Walleye Classic and with the Lions Club. She attended many church and women’s groups and always knew everyone in town.
In her retirement, Pat experienced a loss of both mobility and vision, but she was always well supported by her family, friends, and church. She received incredible care from the home care nurses and homemakers who made it possible for her to remain in her home until she fell ill in November 2023.
Pat was predeceased by her parents Doris and Enoch; husband Edward; brother Michael; brothers-in-law Mac and Bob; sisters-in-law Gertie and Dorothy; and niece Carolyn. She is survived by her children Claire and Charles; step-daughter Carol; sister Christine and brother-in-law David Hicken; many cousins, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews, and countless friends both in Canada and England.
Pat loved old films and musicals, books, poetry, dragons, Sarah Brightman, Nana Mouskari, Morgan Freeman, crossword puzzles, game shows, her family and friends, and so many more things. Before her vision loss made it impossible she enjoyed various crafts and especially stained glass. There are many stained glass angels that she made in homes across the Rainy River District. She had a wonderful dry sense of humour and always enjoyed telling stories and sharing a laugh with a loved one.
The family is eternally grateful to the doctors and nurses at both the Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre and especially St. Andrew’s Ward at La Verendrye General Hospital for the exceptional and compassionate care they provided to her over the past two and a half months. Over the past several years Dr. Ingrid Krampetz, Dr. Kim Meyers, Dr. Armour Boake, Dr. Leland Dhurjon, and Dr. Bruce Lidkea provided Pat with wonderful care for her various medical needs.
The funeral will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, at Calvary Baptist Church (9062 Colonization Road, Emo, Ontario) with Pastor Trevor Martin officiating. All are invited to join in remembering and celebrating the life of this remarkable woman.
In accordance with Pat’s wishes, cremation has taken place and her ashes will be spread across the English countryside at a later date. A marker will be erected at the Emo Cemetery next to her husband Edward.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Patricia’s memory to the Riverside Foundation for Health Care or the Canadian National Institute for the Blind would be appreciated.
Arrangements entrusted to Northridge Funeral Home Ltd., Emo, Ontario.
