Thank you for taking the time to look at our page, created in memory of Patricia Baker, or Pat as many of you will have known her as. Sadly Pat passed away peacefully at home on Friday 20th March 2015 after a long battle with cancer. She fought bravely, with much dignity to remain with her family and friends for as long as possible. The care provided by Marie Curie made a real difference to her, and our, quality of life. Throughout her life Pat was involved in helping others, driven by her compassion for people less fortunate then herself and her love of animals. The family would like to acknowledge this and the work of Marie Curie by requesting rather than sending flowers as a tribute you make a donation to the charity which gave her and her family so much support.

Patricia; career and life

Patricia was born in 1943 in Wallington, Surrey, the middle child of three daughters born to Kenneth and Vera Hurst.  In 1962 she went to University in Cardiff, and graduated with a 2:1 Honours degree in Human Physiology.  It was while at University that she met her future husband, Peter. She went on to do postgraduate research on blood flow and metabolism in human skeletal muscle under an MRC Studentship and published three papers. In September 1966 Patricia and Peter were married in the seaside town of Seaford, Sussex. From 1968 -69 she was appointed as a temporary Lecturer in the University Department of Physiology.

Patricia moved to the Wirral, Cheshire, in 1970 with her husband and first child Kathryn, born in 1969. A second daughter, Meriel came along in  1971, and Patricia subsequently juggled family life with part-time teaching posts at Chester College and the West Cheshire College of Further Education, covering BSc Biology, pre-nursing, first aid and mathematics courses.

In 1977 the Family moved to Dundee, Scotland, where she worked as a Research Assistant/Physiologist at Ninewells Hospital and University Medical School for two years. Her career continued from 1980-85 as a Research Assistant in the Department of Surgery working on Dundee’s contribution to the important DHSS Trial of Early Detection of Breast Cancer which led to early mammographic screening for this condition.   This experience led to her appointment in 1985 as Trial Co-ordinator of the MRC Trial of Surgical Treatment of Gastric Cancer.

Throughout this time her family remained at the forefront of Patricia’s priorities, and it was not unusual for her to be catching up on her own chores in the “wee small hours”, having spent the early evening cooking dinner and helping her girls with their homework and various teenage dramas.

Patricia’s career was now well founded in clinical cancer trials and in 1989 she was appointed, firstly as a Research Fellow, and then as Senior Trials Co-ordinator and Team Leader in the CRC Trials Unit within the University of Birmingham Medical School at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital complex.  Here she directed a team of seven and was responsible for data collection, compliance and analysis for a portfolio of trials into the treatment of cancers of the breast, stomach, bowel and pancreas.  With her colleagues she published several papers on these trials, was a member of professional organisations in the cancer field, sat on committees, was co-holder of research grants and attended conferences at home and abroad.

Over the years Patricia had many interests; ice-skating, tailoring, upholstery, goat-keeping and horses, and she loved her cats, dogs and rare breed bantam chickens.  Her first goat was Dilly, obtained locally in Scotland following a visit to the Royal Welsh Show while on holiday. Dilly had a kid and Patricia enjoyed milking her for many years and making cheese.  When she moved to Shropshire, with Dilly, she took on a Golden Guernsey nanny and used her to establish a small herd that she entered into shows in Shropshire, Herefordshire and the West Midlands.  Patricia was active in the Shropshire Goatkeepers Society  and made many friends.

Throughout all the above Patricia fully supported husband Peter in his career and raised two exceptional daughters.  Peter took early retirement  in 1996 and Patricia retired also so that they could enjoy the rest of their time together in Carmarthenshire at Gelli Bevan, Gwynfe, together with her beloved goats, including Dilly, and cats, dogs, chickens, sheep and horses. During this happy period Patricia welcomed grandchildren into the world; first Owain and then Kimberley and they were a source of great pride and joy throughout her remaining years.

Two years later Patricia was found to have Breast Cancer  which appeared to have been treated successfully until, in 2005, after a fall which left her with a fractured hip, she was discovered to have further extensive disease, especially in her bones.  There began a long and often painful road full of operations and chemotherapy.  But she never gave in and fought hard to stay with her beloved husband and family, and see her grandchildren grow up.  Her Oncologist at Singleton Hospital said she was one patient he would never forget and that surviving for 10 years after widespread recurrence was exceptional.

Patricia’s goodness of heart and attractive personality drew people to her, including fellow patients in hospitals and cancer centres and others going through bad times, and whom she helped come to terms with their problems simply by being a kind and attentive listener and being Patricia.

The following two episodes in Patricia’s life illustrate the wonderful person she was, related here, in their own words, firstly from Kathryn and then from Meriel.

Patricia and the Ranger Guides

While the family were living just outside of Dundee, the local Ranger Guide group lost its leader and Patricia was approached to take over this role. She wasn't  especially keen to do this and had not been involved in the guiding movement other than as a parent dropping off her two girls to attend Brownies and the local Girl Guide group, although Kathryn quickly tired of the Guides with their emphasis on sewing and ‘home-maker’ badges.

With no one else stepping up to run the Ranger Guides group it looked like it would fold. However, Patricia was persuaded to step in. The group also needed a place to meet; so Patricia transformed a room in the family home one evening per week as the Ranger Guide venue and Kathryn  became part of the group. To her astonishment the girls LOVED her mother. To Kathryn she was just Mum; the person who nagged her to clean her room, or to get out of bed on a school day and embarrassed her by taking Dilly, her pet goat, for a walk around the village on a lead. The girls thought she was really cool as she didn't believe that the Ranger Guides couldn't do the sort of stuff the boys were getting up to in the Venture Scouts group. Kathryn remembers abseiling off a viaduct, learning to ski on the dry ski slope at the nearby Royal Marine base, tackling the Royal Marine obstacle course to raise money for a local charity and ‘ adopting’ for a year a group of vulnerable, disadvantaged children in a partnership with social work services to give them a fun outing once a week. Kathryn now runs services for children such as these, matching them with volunteer befrienders to do pretty much the same thing, so Patricia was 25 years ahead of her time.

Kathryn has fear of heights and found the abseiling and assault course terrifying. Patricia was there supporting and encouraging her to face scary challenges head on.  She taught her that there were others less fortunate than Kathryn and her family and in doing so passed on her compassion and willingness to help make life better. This has been her legacy to Kathryn who still does stuff which scares her. Only a few days before she died, in conversation with Patricia, Kathryn described how she had been mountain biking for the first time, how scary it was but how elated she felt at having done it. Kathryn’s mother complained that that was something else for her to worry about, but still left her with these words - ‘you go girl!’. Patricia passed on the compassion she had for others and her willingness to get involved and make a difference. This has given Kathryn the skills, empathy and drive she needs to do her job everyday and to get involved with the things that make a difference to her community. For these memories and gifts, Kathryn says ‘Thanks Mum ’

Patricia and horse riding

In the early years of her time at Gelli Bevan, Patricia had decided to take up riding, to be able to ride out with her daughter Meriel and enjoy the scenery of the surrounding countryside she loved. Meriel already had her horse Sunshine, and Patricia, after having been encouraged to look at nice, safe, recommended beginners horses,  bought a handsome, flashy and totally unsuitable young Welsh Cob she had fallen in love with at first sight. Despite some discouragement that he may not be the best choice for a novice, she was adamant that " he was the one" and he was the first horse she felt completely safe on. Well there wasn't much you could say when Patricia had truly made up her mind so "Billy" joined the family and he became her pride and joy. She did indeed learn to ride on Billy, just as she did anything she set her mind to, and she also watched with pride as he was ridden by Sarah, her riding instructor, sometimes bringing home rosettes for dressage.

After 7 years of enjoying Billy, Patricia decided that he should have a more active home and be having more adventures and fulfilling his potential. Typically she was picky where he went and once she found someone, a lovely lady called Debbie from Guernsey, who she thought was right for him, she sadly said goodbye, but stayed in touch with Debbie and continued to have updates on his progress. After a brief hunt for a replacement, Seamus came along, again on the face of it, a totally unsuitable horse, but he grabbed Patricia’s heart and quickly became part of the family. It was the year after she got Seamus that she had the hip fracture and hip replacement.  Her orthopaedic surgeon told her she wouldn’t and shouldn’t ride again and she replied ”wanna bet”, and she did! She continued with her weekly lessons and even as her illness progressed and she grew less physically able, one of the things that showed her at her best was her determination to keep riding, to keep going as long as possible. Even when she could no longer ride herself she would take him to be schooled by her riding instructor, Sarah, and would take him to shows where she watched with pride. She was as proud when he won a rosette as she would have been riding him herself,  because despite longing to be in the saddle, she remained involved and ever interested in his progress and welfare. It was inspiring and was just one example of her vibrant attitude to life when many would have given up. Those that knew her through riding were always amazed at how she kept going even after falls, which could have been much worse for her in her fragile state. This was certainly noticed and made a lasting impression on people around her.  Patricia was described as brave, incredible, strong; but the description that was most used and most true was Lovely. She was a hundred things or more but above all, she was Lovely.