97 years old at first service

Memorable for the way that we first encountered Pat was that fact that he had been in the full time care of his wife until she unexpectedly passed away during a routine minor surgical procedure. Pat was 90% blind in his only eye but he insisted on doing everything himself.

Pat had had 8 books written about him and his remarkable life story was a true Hollywood epic. From his youth riding motorcycles in a Carnival ‘Globe of Death’, to his service in the NZ SAS during WW2, a career as a abalone diver, his stage success in the 1950’s as a Las Vegas Psychic & Stage Magician and friends with the ‘Rat pack’. Upon his retirement to the Gold Coast he dabbled at property development and writing successful crime noir novels.

Pat was a no-nonsense man who was happiest when his bed sheets were “done proper”, the whiskey was cold and the steak rare. Pat and his wife, had surrounded themselves with a bevy of ladies; the home office Secretary’s, Chef’s and Girl Friday’s – but he loved having my Caregivers staff to be there on call for his personal care needs. I have fond memories of the Friday afternoons when he would invite me to visit, ostensibly to talk about his roster, but really to just enjoy a chat and a drink on his patio with me.
Pat passed away a few months before his 100th birthday when he got impatient while awaiting the lift and tripped on the stairs. Even that wasn’t enough to finish him as he died in hospital from a post-operative infection.