Our mother, Patricia Grace, or “Pat”, was born in 1928 in Merritt BC, the second child to parents Art Roberts and Wilma (Jackson) Roberts. Mom’s parents lost their family farm in Lower Nicola because of the Depression, so her family moved to Kamloops where Mom and her sister May attended Stuart Wood Elementary. The Roberts family then moved to Chilliwack where Mom’s younger sister Shirley was born. Mom finished school and graduated from Chilliwack Senior High in 1946. In high school Mom was a sports enthusiast, a track star, and a basketball player, earning several school letters for her accomplishments. Mom also met her future husband, Wilf Pelly, in high school. After graduation Dad was off to WW2, and while Mom waited for him, she waitressed in Chilliwack at the Peaks Restaurant. She always hoped that their song “Sentimental Journey” would play on the jukebox, as that could mean Wilf was back from the war. Mom and Dad were married in 1947 moving to Vancouver and then on to Haney to raise their three young children.
The family then moved to Kamloops in 1957 to a new house in the Dallas Subdivision and their fourth child was born in 1959.
Mom was active volunteering at Dallas Elementary as a baseball coach, a basketball coach, and at track meets. She was a Girl Guide leader and always helped with community activities. She was a great “Block Mom” long before the term was even thought of.
Mom continuously baked and canned. A second freezer was purchased to house the homemade bread and baking and the cellar was always packed with canned as well as fresh fruits and vegetables. Fishing with Dad and their friends meant spending time at lakes, creeks and the ocean, filling the other freezer.
Mom had a great sense of humor and especially loved to play tricks on Dad at April fools. She was a very kind and generous person and would help anyone as much as she could. She continued her love of sports throughout her life and especially enjoyed hockey and CFL football. Mom loved reading and keeping up on what her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were doing.
Over the years Mom and Dad lived and made life-long friends in Haney, Kamloops, Royston, Logan Lake, and Ashcroft.
Mom was predeceased by her husband of 72 years, Wilf, and her sister May. She is survived by her children Lyn(Craig), Judy(Bob), Doug(Cathie) and Joanne(Dav), her 13 grandchildren, 26 great grandchildren, her sister Shirley, and many nieces and nephews.
In August of 2021 Mom was evacuated from her care residence in Merritt due to wildfires encroaching from the south, east, and north. After two days of being bussed back and forth to Kelowna, and eventually being flown to Vancouver, she was temporarily housed in Surrey. Mom viewed it as an adventure. Her children were terrified for her. Coincidentally, while she was evacuated at the coast, a more suitable situation became available for her in Nanaimo, so Mom moved to Woodgrove Manor in Nanaimo under Doug and Cathie’s care and attention. Special thanks to Dr. Lorine Pelly for her loving guidance of her grandmother’s health and wellbeing while in Nanaimo.
The family would also like to thank the staff of Woodgrove Manor for the amazing care extended to Mom for the 2.5 years she was there. Mom will be joining Dad in Kamloops, at Hillside Cemetery in the near future. Plans for a celebration of life will be announced shortly.
A celebration in honour of Wilf and Pat Pelly will be hosted by the family on Saturday, June 1, 2024, 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM (ish), at the Sandman Signature Hotel in Kamloops. We look forward to sharing memories with our extended family and friends.
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