Pat, Mum, Grandma, Auntie Pat (or Auntie Pants, to some) was born in Revelstoke, B.C. to parents Arvid and Isobel Lundell. She grew up in the mountains and often reminisced about childhood winters in the snow, and the train rides she would take home for the holidays in the years after she left. Though Revelstoke was the home of her heart, Pat spent her university years living and working in Victoria and Vancouver, as she undertook teacher training and attended the University of British Columbia. She remembered, with fondness, all the children she taught in Mission and later in Squamish and was proud of her choirs there. It was in Vancouver that she met and married Ralph, before moving to Victoria, where the couple raised their three sons.
To her family and friends, Pat was an understanding listener with a wry sense of humour. She had a habit and talent for making those she loved feel unique and cherished — and while she was quick to point out and laugh at her own self-perceived faults, she almost always had a kind word for others. Patricia was an optimist more generally, believing that everyone was doing the best they could, for who they were. She often referred to herself as shy, but she could be immovable once her mind was set, especially in her resistance to change. Her remarkable kindness and gentle stubbornness represented two sides of the same coin.
Patricia was usually very private and took pleasure in her garden, home and her own company. She appeared most satisfied, however, when surrounded by the company of her family and this was always the case at Christmas. It was commonplace for her to labour into the wee hours creating the desired atmosphere. This patience produced annually a beautifully-decorated tree (or two) in the weeks leading to Christmas Day and sometimes well beyond. At this time, the house was frequently filled with the aroma of Swedish coffee bread and pepparkakor.
She is predeceased by her husband, Ralph Shepherd, brothers Fred, Robert, and Hartley, and sister Ann. She is survived by her siblings Sidney (Joan), Laurine, Brian (Dianne), John, and Elizabeth; sons Michael (Pauline), Paul (Christine), and Bruce (Carmela); grandchildren Katie, Adrienne, Oscar, Christopher, and Amalia; and many nieces and nephews.
Pat meant so much, to so many, and she is dearly and deeply missed; a celebration of her life will be held in the spring.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall’s Funeral Home
www.mccallbros.com
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