July 3, 1947 - October 14, 2020
It is with profound sorrow we announce the passing of Pat Cull, beloved wife of Gary Cull for 50 years, mother of Thomas (Claudia) and Christopher (Christine); grandmother of Aidan, Bodhi, Nyah and Ayers.
Pat will also be missed by her brother, Allan (Rae) and her sister Leora (late Rick Bowen), also her sister-in-law Norine (late Doug Pankhurst). She also leaves behind her nieces and nephews: Tracy, Carrie, and John; Kevin and Jennifer; Sean and Scott. Pat was predeceased by her father Cecil in 1963 and mother Germaine in 1967. In addition, her parents-in-law Alice and Harry Cull predeceased her in 1975 and 1976 respectively.
Born in Medicine Hat, AB, Pat was an accomplished pianist, achieving level 10 of the Royal Conservatory of Music and teaching piano for several years before leaving for the University of Alberta in Edmonton.
At the U of A, Pat did two things: receive her Bachelor of Science degree and meet her future husband Gary.
They married on September 19, 1970 and she had her two sons in Edmonton: Thomas in 1972 and Christopher in 1974. Pat and Gary moved to Calgary where they entered the florist industry together. They owned and operated Allan's Flowers for 37 years.
Everything Pat took on, she did so with gusto and enthusiasm. She joined the Order of Eastern Star, becoming Worthy Matron in 1979 of Acacia Chapter #56. Pat also played the ritual music for the monthly meetings of her chapter. She thoroughly enjoyed the friendship that Gary's membership in the Gyro Club of Calgary provided.
Flowers Canada served as the national organization for the floral industry, and Pat served as President of Flowers Canada for 2 consecutive years. During her membership, she joined with like-minded florists to establish a Flowers Canada National Accreditation Program to educate and test the knowledge and skills of member florists. She offered to take the two-pronged exams herself and became the first Flowers Canada Master Florist in Canada.
The American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) is a prestigious group of talented international floral designers. Pat passed the rigorous entrance requirements and enjoyed the privileges of her membership. She travelled extensively throughout the United States to attend their annual symposiums.
Pat enjoyed travelling with Gary and close friends all over Canada and the U.S.A., from Alaska and BC to Newfoundland and down to the Dakotas and the Four-Corners mesa area of Arizona and New Mexico. She particularly enjoyed 4x4 camping high in the heights of the Rocky Mountains. They also visited Hawaii for a number of years as their children were growing up, especially the Garden Isle of Kauai.
Pat and Gary sold their flower shop and retired at the end of January 2014. However 11 days later, Pat suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke which deprived her of any use of her left side. While recovering from her stroke, doctors found she had stage 3 rectal cancer. She underwent radiation and chemotherapy prior to cancer surgery. After 6 years, her latest scan showed her to be cancer free.
After her long recovery, Pat and Gary sold their home at Calgary in 2016 and moved to Coldstream, BC to be closer to their eldest son Tom and his family. Over the last four years (except 2020), their youngest son Chris and his family were able to make annual visits each year to BC. In 2017, the entire family was able to make a trip for two weeks to Pat's beloved Kauai.
Patricia was cremated and there will be a private graveside interment in the family plot at Queen's Park Cemetery in Calgary, AB at a later date (post Covid-19 pandemic).
May she rest in peace.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to:
Pleasant Valley Funeral Home
4303 Pleasant Valley Road,
Vernon, BC, V1T 4M4
Phone: 250-542-4333