Obituary for Patricia Joan Featherstone (Hart)
Featherstone, Patricia Joan (nee Hart)
(April 24, 1930 to October 29, 2023)
With loving family by her side and 17 years to the day her beloved husband John completed his earthly existence, the Featherstone family matriarch, our beautiful English rose, began her final journey.
Her journey on earth was quite something too. Born Patricia Joan Hart in Surrey, England, she lived through life-altering events most of us could never imagine: WWII and bombings near her home, food rationings and two evacuations to the country with the younger brother she adored and fiercely protected. It made her tough and pragmatic. And though she was never one for “sloppy” sentiments (that’s for North Americans, she would say!), it was clearly love at first sight when she met fellow Londoner John at the Church of England at the tender age of 16 and waited for him as he embarked on a three-year Royal Air Force tour of duty to Egypt and Cyprus a couple years later.
After marrying, welcoming a son and three daughters, tragically losing both her parents (Percy and Elizabeth) at a young age, and opting for a quieter life in the glorious Devonshire countryside, she and John immigrated to Canada where they eventually ran a successful dairy farm near Flesherton for more than 25 years before retiring to their serene home outside of Orangeville. But while she left England, it never quite left her and her family was often regaled with stories of her life there.
Equally as talented with a sewing machine and pattern as a pen and crossword puzzle, our mother was a trailblazer, working out of the home before they purchased the farm at a time when many women with children didn’t. Well-versed, she was deeply concerned with climate change and the future of our planet. She was feisty but composed. Unassuming but strong. Smart but humble. Witty but realistic. Quite simply, she was the glue that held our family together.
And that family will miss her more than words can adequately express: Her four children Anthony (Elfriede), Anne (Gary), Janet (Dave) and Ruth (Adam); her nine grandchildren Daryl (Sandy), Andrea (Samuel), Graham (Justine), Derek (Holly), Marina (Francesco), Philip (Shannon), Holly (Will), Matthew and Olivia; 14 great-grandchildren Jayden, Kohen, Foxx, Maddix, Tripp, Addison, Fynn, Jack, Violet, Bentley, Nash, Miles, Theo and Coen; and the family back in England she so missed, including her brother John (Sheila), sister-in-law Denise (the late Ken), many nephews and nieces and their children and grandchildren. We would be remiss in not mentioning her devoted cat Skye, who kept a constant vigil at her bedside and provided much comfort, especially in her final few days.
Because of that deep love for cats – she tolerated “well-behaved” dogs! – the family asks that any donations in our mother’s name be directed to the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and Humane Society, where she volunteered for many years, or your local animal shelter.
We are honouring our mother’s request for a small private family service as she is laid to rest beside the husband who cherished her for 60 years – and made sure she always knew it.
Her favourite grey chair overlooking the peaceful river and feeder always overflowing with a colourful array of birds (and the occasional naughty racoon) is heartbreakingly empty, but memories of what an incredible woman she was will fill our minds and hearts forever. Sleep well, darling mama. You deserve it.
A tree will be planted in memory of Patricia in the Dods & McNair Memorial Forest at the Island Lake Conservation Area, Orangeville. 22nd Annual Dedication Service will be held on Sunday, September 8, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.
Condolences may be offered to the family at www.dodsandmcnair.com
(April 24, 1930 to October 29, 2023)
With loving family by her side and 17 years to the day her beloved husband John completed his earthly existence, the Featherstone family matriarch, our beautiful English rose, began her final journey.
Her journey on earth was quite something too. Born Patricia Joan Hart in Surrey, England, she lived through life-altering events most of us could never imagine: WWII and bombings near her home, food rationings and two evacuations to the country with the younger brother she adored and fiercely protected. It made her tough and pragmatic. And though she was never one for “sloppy” sentiments (that’s for North Americans, she would say!), it was clearly love at first sight when she met fellow Londoner John at the Church of England at the tender age of 16 and waited for him as he embarked on a three-year Royal Air Force tour of duty to Egypt and Cyprus a couple years later.
After marrying, welcoming a son and three daughters, tragically losing both her parents (Percy and Elizabeth) at a young age, and opting for a quieter life in the glorious Devonshire countryside, she and John immigrated to Canada where they eventually ran a successful dairy farm near Flesherton for more than 25 years before retiring to their serene home outside of Orangeville. But while she left England, it never quite left her and her family was often regaled with stories of her life there.
Equally as talented with a sewing machine and pattern as a pen and crossword puzzle, our mother was a trailblazer, working out of the home before they purchased the farm at a time when many women with children didn’t. Well-versed, she was deeply concerned with climate change and the future of our planet. She was feisty but composed. Unassuming but strong. Smart but humble. Witty but realistic. Quite simply, she was the glue that held our family together.
And that family will miss her more than words can adequately express: Her four children Anthony (Elfriede), Anne (Gary), Janet (Dave) and Ruth (Adam); her nine grandchildren Daryl (Sandy), Andrea (Samuel), Graham (Justine), Derek (Holly), Marina (Francesco), Philip (Shannon), Holly (Will), Matthew and Olivia; 14 great-grandchildren Jayden, Kohen, Foxx, Maddix, Tripp, Addison, Fynn, Jack, Violet, Bentley, Nash, Miles, Theo and Coen; and the family back in England she so missed, including her brother John (Sheila), sister-in-law Denise (the late Ken), many nephews and nieces and their children and grandchildren. We would be remiss in not mentioning her devoted cat Skye, who kept a constant vigil at her bedside and provided much comfort, especially in her final few days.
Because of that deep love for cats – she tolerated “well-behaved” dogs! – the family asks that any donations in our mother’s name be directed to the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and Humane Society, where she volunteered for many years, or your local animal shelter.
We are honouring our mother’s request for a small private family service as she is laid to rest beside the husband who cherished her for 60 years – and made sure she always knew it.
Her favourite grey chair overlooking the peaceful river and feeder always overflowing with a colourful array of birds (and the occasional naughty racoon) is heartbreakingly empty, but memories of what an incredible woman she was will fill our minds and hearts forever. Sleep well, darling mama. You deserve it.
A tree will be planted in memory of Patricia in the Dods & McNair Memorial Forest at the Island Lake Conservation Area, Orangeville. 22nd Annual Dedication Service will be held on Sunday, September 8, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.
Condolences may be offered to the family at www.dodsandmcnair.com