Tribute

Passed away in Maple Ridge hospice with her son, Douglas at her side, after a long
and difficult illness.
Pat is survived by her son, Douglas (Bethany), grandchildren, (Morgan, Finnegan
and Riley), and her sisters Marilyn (Austin) and Nancy (Kurt).
Pat grew up on a farm outside Belmont, Manitoba. She took part in 4H clubs and
school field days and played on an all-girls baseball team which won several
regional championships. As the team pitcher, Pat had a straight as an arrow
throw with few wild pitches. In many ways, this exemplified Pat’s life. Despite
many challenges, she rarely deviated from a path of generosity and warm
heartedness and maintained an abiding commitment to her deep religious faith.

Pat trained as a lab technician in Winnipeg. She later worked in Calgary where
she met her husband, Robert Howland, who died tragically on the Ocean Ranger.
As a single mother with a one-year-old, Pat raised her son to be a creative,
successful, happily married man.
Pat later moved to B.C. where she purchased a tract of land outside Abbotsford.
There she honed her considerable gardening skills, creating lush flower beds and
abundant crops of vegetables and blueberries. She later moved to Abbotsford
where she maintained her love of gardening in her back yard and at an allotment
garden.
Pat volunteered for years with the Red Cross, managing all requests for
wheelchairs and other assistive devices. She later drove cancer patients to
hospital for treatment after undergoing treatment herself.
Pat enjoyed travel and travelled to England to visit her son and grandchildren.
She also travelled frequently to Puerto Vallarta with her friend, Wendy, and later
her sister.
Pat was a dear and good friend to her friends and three sisters. She was open,
thoughtful and had a delightful sense of humour. She was sensitive, wise, with a
clear-sighted capacity to accept life as it was, while bravely moving through life
with a positive outlook.
We are heart broken over the loss of Pat and will miss her deeply.
Pat was cremated at her request. A Celebration of Pat’s Life will be held in her
honour on April 3, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at Central Heights Church in Abbotsford.