LadyBird Phyllis Patterson

Phyllis M. Patterson, Writer

Nov 24, 1921 - May 14, 2013

Phyllis M. Patterson, 91, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, on May 14, 2013 at Rockyview General Hospital in Calgary, Alberta. She was born on November 24, 1921 in Vancouver, British Columbia to Norman and Kate (Owen) Berridge.  Adopted by her grandmother, Eda Owen, on September 9, 1929, she was raised in Edmonton. On March 19, 1942 she joined the Canadian Air Force Women’s Division and was sent overseas to London, England. Later in life she attended the University of Calgary where she obtained a B.A. in Psychology and English.

As an author, she published short stories and poetry in New Voices in Poetry, New York, Nova Scotia Book of Verse, NeWest Review, Blue Buffalo, La Revue Literaire de l’Alberta,  Papier Mache, Signatures, EOTU Magazine, Idaho, and articles in the Edmonton Journal, SkiWest Magazine, the Calgary Herald, etc. She was on the Editorial Board of the Fort Calgary Quarterly Review and Dandelion Magazine. She also taught Creative Writing at the University of Calgary and for the Calgary School board.  

Her biography of “Eda the Weatherlady”, a story about her grandmother, was published in 1995 by Kindred Spirits Publishing.

Phyllis is preceded in death by her sister Pamela and her great grandson Dash. She is survived by her children – Philip, Pamela (Joop), Jack (Eva) and Neil (Judith); nine grandchildren, Marnee (Matt), Sarah, Matthew, Amanda (Erik), Lauren, Jordan, Miles (Danielle), Amy (Chris) and Adam, and four great grandchildren – Chace, Greyson, Breanna and Alexis.

All individuals who wish to attend funeral services for her may do so on Saturday, May 25, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer – 218 7^th Ave SE, Calgary, AB.  There will be a reception following from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at the Calgary Glencoe Club golf course, 31002 Elbow River Drive SW, T3Z 2T8. 

Those who knew Phyllis knew her fierce loyalty and love of life.  She always supported her family no matter what. She made an impression on everyone that she met (you either loved her or hated her).  She could never understand why everyone did not simply love her. As early as six years old she new what she thought was right and fought for it. 

She was known as a strong, fiery, independent individual.  The comparison to the character in the book “The Stone Angel” by Margaret Laurence is how some would describe her.  Her retired minister, Roy Darcus of Christ Church, stated that around the time she died, he was driving to her bedside amidst a sudden deluge of rain – what are you up to now, Phyllis?  A fitting end to a very full life.  The storm before the sun came out.

As a child she moved from California to Edmonton and lived with her grandmother Eda Owen (who was the first weather woman, or meteorologist, in Western Canada and maybe even the whole of North America).  In World War II, Phyllis served oversees and ran a secretarial pool for the Royal Canadian Air Force.  At the end of the war she attended the University Of Alberta in the arts program where she met her future husband the late Miles H. Patterson, Q.C.  They were married in September, 1946 (divorced in 1971) and moved to Calgary after Miles’ graduation from Law School. 

Phyllis belonged to a number of organizations including the Glencoe Club, Alliance Française, Allied Arts Center and the Calgary Ski Club. She had a late start to athletics when she had children as she did not want to watch from the sidelines.  Some of them being: driving a car (if she has driven you anywhere, you will understand the sportsmanship involved in driving), horseback riding, skiing (learned and became a ski instructor), hiking (she loved to hike), swimming, badminton and tennis. Alliance Française was formed by a group of women, including Phyllis, to promote the French language. While she was with Alliance Française she translated books from English to French and vice versa.  She was an avid supporter of the arts including the Calgary Philharmonic Symphony, the Calgary Ballet Company, the Glenbow Museum, the Banff School of Fine Arts, the National Film Board and multiple art galleries and libraries in both Banff and Calgary.  In her later years, she studied theology and completed Education for Ministry through Christ Church in Calgary.  

We will miss her sense of the ridiculous, her sense of humour, her fierce independence, her style, her dubious culinary skills, and her fierce commitment to her family. 

We encourage you to leave your memories of Phyllis as a comment in this blog.
In lieu of flowers, we wish that you donate to the Heart & Stroke Foundation 
or a Charity of your choice.