Patricia Maxine Baillie

She was surrounded by loving family and the gentle care of caregivers and the staff at Rest Haven Lodge in Sidney, BC. She is predeceased by her loving husband Jim who passed away in 2024 and, no doubt, has been waiting anxiously for his sweetheart to join him in their next adventure. Patricia is survived by her children Lauri (Chris), Kim (Scott) and Steve (Nelva) as well as grandchildren Adam (Lynz), Shaun, Will (Sahr), Shelby (Andrew), Sarah and Katherine. Mom also had the joy of great-grandchildren Harbour, Aidan, Sylvan and Zelda who will make her appearance this December.

Mom was born on October 27, 1938 in Trail, BC and she, along with her younger sister Shirley, moved throughout BC, and Calgary, due to her father, Mike’s, work with Canada Post. Mom spent her teenage years growing up in Vancouver, later moving to Nanaimo where, soon after graduating high school, she met the love of her life, James Gordon Baillie. After their marriage in 1957 and the birth of their first child Lauri, Mom and Dad moved to Hawaii where they lived for a year before moving back to BC with homes (and new babies) in Victoria and Kamloops. With their family now including Kim and Steve, Mom and Dad spent the next decade in North Vancouver before heading off to Victoria in 1973.

In Victoria, Pat had a productive career, first as a loan officer with the Bank of Nova Scotia, and later as a realtor with Century Twenty One. Later she and Jim ran Portage Inlet House for 12 years, a popular Bed and Breakfast where Pat’s joy of cooking and hospitality were enjoyed by guests from around the globe.

In their later years Pat and Jim pursued a greener lifestyle and built a new homestead on ten acres in Sooke where they initially lived “off the grid ”. Their Christmas Tree parties and blackberry pickings were just a few of the many happy gatherings that were all a part of their busy lives. They later moved back into town and ended up in a beautiful ocean view penthouse apartment in Oak Bay where they lived happily for 16 years.

Mom had many interests, such as writing and taking university courses, and loved spending time with friends and family. She was an avid gardener and would fill her pantry with all the canned produce from her large vegetable garden. Mom’s generosity and love of feeding people around a large table were one of the many things that will be remembered. She enjoyed being a member of the Red Hats woman’s club and travelled widely in her later years. Memories include Mom playing tennis with her son in Manzanillo, and astride an elephant in Thailand, wondering how she was ever going to get down!

A special thanks to the caregivers from Home Care Assistance (The Key) for their wonderful care of Mom for many years. Although she battled dementia over her final years, Mom retained her positive attitude and ability to tell a convincing story until the end. Her infectious sense of humour will be keenly missed by all of us.