The Dunedin Branch notes with sadness the passing of our Life Member, Patricia "Pat" Mark QSO JP, earlier this month. Patricia, Lady Mark née Davie died on 7 February 2023 at 91 years of age. Pat was a member of the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ) from 1967-2007 and was made a Life Member of NCWNZ Dunedin in 2007. She was also a Justice of the Peace and was awarded a Queen’s Service Order (QSO) for services to the community in 2000.
Her many friends in our branch feel the loss of such an energetic, sincere and dear friend. This photo at right, courtesy of Correen Rodger, was taken in 2005 when Pat received a Long Service award from the Branch.
She worked hard for our organisation and we do appreciate her input which we honoured with a Life Membership in 2007. She served NCW as a delegate from Graduate Women Otago from 1979 to 2007. She worked hard on many activities and always led by example.
Pat, together with Dunedin Branch members Joyce Herd and Miriam Murray, researched and published information about all rest homes and private hospitals in Dunedin and its environs, offering care for the elderly. Older persons are first and foremost individuals and their personal preference of what is important to them will vary; be it security, privacy, companionship, standard of care, entertainment, a view, or something else. All the rest homes and private hospitals were consulted, and approved their entry before the booklet was published. The photo below was taken at the launch of the Rest Home book in December 1999.
The photo from the book launch event in 1999, courtesy of Correen Rodger, shows (from left) Dame Dorothy Fraser, together with long standing NCWNZ members Pat Mark, Miriam Murray and Joyce Herd.
You can read more about her in the University of Otago Alumni News here.
Kind regards
Liz Miller, Acting Secretary
Dunedin Branch of NCWNZ
To read more articles from The Circular (Jan-Feb 2023) issue 639, click on the tag below.