Patricia died suddenly February 4, 2025, after an accidental fall at her Victoria residence. She was born March 17, 1940 in Calgary, Alberta.
Patricia is survived by her brother Roland (Martine) and her nephew Christopher, residents of Calgary. She is pre-deceased by her parents, Thomas and Lillian Valentine.
After high school, Patricia moved to Vancouver to complete her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1962. Her class of 16 was the first in a new program in nursing at UBC. After working in psychiatric nursing, Patricia continued her further education with a master’s degree in sociology from the University of Calgary in 1973 and a PhD in educational administration at the University of Alberta in 1988. She joined the U of A Faculty of Nursing in 1987, and was the Director of the International Nursing Centre. She is remembered by colleagues for her commitment to her students and her dedication to improving nursing education to reflect women’s perspectives. She was a consultant in nursing education at Kuwait University, at Sapporo Medical University and the University of Ghana in Accra. Patricia especially treasured her visits to Japan, France and Iran. She loved learning about new cultures and was a regular patron of art galleries, dance companies and symphonies. She adored the colour celadon and collected many vases in that shade. When she retired to Victoria, her admiration for Japanese art led her to study Ikebana. She delighted in plants and gardens, as well as cats, especially those of Siamese breed.
Donations in Patricia’s name may be made to The Victoria Foundation.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
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Carolyn Larsen
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Janet Poyen Dear Rolly, Martine and Christopher,
It was so sad to read about Pat’s unfortunate accident. I know how much she enjoyed her life in Victoria. But I had no idea how much she accomplished during her time there. In my visits to Victoria, we had very enjoyable chats but she didn’t talk a lot about herself. I regret not having seen her recently. You must be very proud of her.
Perhaps a group of Calgarians could meet to remember her early days.
Good wishes to the three of you.
Janet P.
Heartfelt condolences to Pat’s family and friends upon her abrupt and unexpected loss of life.
I am one of the 16 UBC nursing classmates but only heard this sad news a few days ago. A year after graduating, I joined Pat in France for three weeks, renting a little Fiat to explore many parts of the country. It was August and in the south of Provence we could find nowhere to spend the night at any price. We slept sitting bolt upright in the front (only) farmers field, our luggage using the little space behind us.
Besides her productive professional life she had truly eclectic passions and interests. While in Montreal, where I live, she introduced me to Fringe (edgy) theatre and explored carpet shops hoping to find one with some aqua colour, a stated favourite. I’ve had here, yet another vase with a splash of aqua intended for her. When I was briefly in Victoria almost 10 years ago she wasn’t well enough to visit and needed to get herself in good enough shape to use her ticket to a Buffy Sainte-Marie concert.
Given more time I’d tell you about our seven course lunch in Paris. One more memory to cherish.
Carolyn Larsen