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Obituary of Pat Jenkins

(1926 - 2010)
(First published in The Guardian)

Pat Jenkin gained immense respect for her service to the community. A quiet, unassuming person who would pride herself on her volunteer work with various groups and on a range of projects, she has been suitably described as 'the quiet little soldier in the background'.

Pat also had a great sense of humour, with a flair for drama and writing skits, which came to the fore in the performances of the Motueka Women's Institute drama group. Again, Pat was humble about her talents and capabilities.

Born in 1926 in Timaru Mary Patricia Westoby, she was more commonly known as Pat in later years. She attended Timaru West School and began at Timaru Girls High School in 1940, where she became a prefect and displayed talent is in arts and crafts.

One of her greatest skills in those days was to paint minute, detailed scenes and pictures on trinket boxes and wooden dishes.

Pat attended Teachers Training College in Dunedin. In her early years of teaching, she was posted to the Motueka District High School (now Parklands School) as the art specialist. In her capacity she bikede to all the schools in the local vicinity and had to bus over the dreaded Takaka Hill. According to Pat, on the gravel road the bus sometimes had to make a couple of attempts, including reversing, to get around hairpin bends.

She stayed in a hostel in High Street, Motueka, and feared the huge huhu beetles that swarmed into the corridors at night, attracted by the light.

Not content with being an art teacher, Pat changed careers and moved to Auckland to train as an occupational therapist, learning to do many things in order to train others in rehabilitation.

In Auckland around 1952 through St David's Church, she met Owen Jenkin, also from Timaru. They were married in December 1954 in Timaru. Pat worked in occupational therapy while Owen completed his ministry training at Knox College.

They took up their first parish in Duntroon, North Otago, and set up home in a very old manse in a rural setting. Pat spent many long evenings occupying herself with her craftwork while waiting for Owen to return from late church meetings.

The isolated rural lifestyle prompted Pat to join the CWI. Even when daughter Elise was born she still found time to do intricate handiwork for the many CWI competitions.

In 1965 the family moved to Hokitika and in 1966 son Chris was born. Pat worked hard and maintained a good routine to cater for Owen's busy parish work.

In 1974 the family made the shift to Motueka. Pat did the manse up to her standard of home. Her energy extended to painting the whole outside of the manse at 11 Eginton St. As with the other manses, both Pat and Owen created a large flower and vegetable garden.

1998 marked a sad year for Pat and the family when Owen died. However, Pat created a busy life for herself, building up a list of community interests. Outside church she was a representative for the National Council of Women and a Scout badge administrator, an IHC Assistant, and for many years was a tutor for the adult literacy group.

She also kept busy as a member of Keep Motueka Beautiful and its rejuvenation of various areas, such as the Motueka Inlet Walkway Reserve. She also entered into the garden trail for a number of years and designed the frontage of the Pethybridge Rose Garden.

A lot of her talent showed through in her Women's Institute activities. Pat joined the Motueka Women's Institute in 1964 and became a very loyal and dedicated member. In the WI competitions she won most of the cups, so it was sided she should become the judge. Pat was president for four years and in that time the group donated a clock and a seat to the town.

Pat went on to serve for four years on the Nelson Federation, and while on this committee she was asked to embroider a tapestry chair cover and serviettes to be given to Government House. Motueka members swelled with pride when they saw the standard of Pat's work. Around this time she was given a Good Service Badge.

Pat iced all the Christmas and birthday cakes, made shoulder sprays for special presentations, and wrote the monthly WI meeting reports for publication. She became leader of the Women's Institute drama group, having played everything from a nun to a member of Abba. She wrote some clever scripts that have been performed in recent years. One of her major successes was the skit 'The Burglar', which is entered in the CWI National Drama competition in June.

Pat Jenkin set very high standards for herself and her presence in the community will be sadly missed.

 
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