Kathleen Duke

We grieve the loss of the beautiful Patricia Cartwright. A child born to James and Catherine Duke, she witnessed the end of the second world war, her home host to American soldiers stationed in Ireland who apparently pronounced Kate's coffee the best that side of the Atlantic. She often found herself sleeping in the bathtub to make room for the servicemen waiting for assignment. She grew up Catholic - Irish Catholic, which is a particular kind of devoted but no-nonsense flavour of Christianity - in the seaside town of Warrenpoint in County Down, Northern Ireland. She went on, like her older sister Geraldine, to study nursing, and eventually became a midwife. In 1955 She followed her sister to Montreal after Geraldine married Harry, a Canadian pilot, and there met - on a bus, the story goes - Raymond Cartwright (Aug.05.2010 ), whom she would wed in 1959. Canada didn't have midwives then, but she didn't waste time becoming head nurse of obstetrics at Lachine General hospital, where she brought countless lives into the world. She loved good company and she loved to talk. She also loved to cozy up with a good murder mystery. She loved a smoke and a glass of scotch with water. She wasn't a fan of fools, and wasn't afraid to speak her mind when needed. Against her nature, she was peripatetic, and though her first wish was always to be near family, she found herself bumping from Warrenpoint to Belfast to Montreal to Ottawa, to British Columbia and back to Ottawa, ever in the service of others. Her undeniable devotion to Ray during his extended time of need affirming her strength of character. And yet she was generous, and above all patient, despite her freewheeling Irish temper. Fate decided that, despite her devotion to bringing lives into the world, she had a terrible time doing it herself. And yet she managed to make two. She leaves in grief Timothy James and Brian Patrick, named after her father and herself. Her grandchildren, Victoria and Benjamin will greatly miss her influence in their lives. A celebration of Pat and Ray's life together will be held at Garden Chapel of Tubman Funeral Homes, 3440 Richmond Road, Nepean on Saturday Oct 3rd ,from 1:30p.m. until time of funeral service in the chapel at 2:30p.m.