Anita PATRICK Obituary

Anita was my dear friend in college at Bowling Green State University. We remained friends over the years by mail. Before she went to NZ we did many things together. Her parents became dear to me also. I was at her wedding in Cleveland. Her Dad took me to my first hockey game. Their neighborhood in Cleveland Collinwood had many of her relatives. My husband loved. Mr. Vac. He would take him to a Sat. Morning football game and to a relatives after to tip a few. Mrs. Vac was a great Italian cook even though she was not Italian. I loved my adventures with her whole family. Love you my dear friend!

In 1968 Anita exchanged with my husband Des on a Fulbright teacher exchange. She was sent to a school in Auckland where she met Gordon. At the time Des was headmaster of the District High School in Rawene. He went to her position at Worden school in Cleveland. We Had 2 small boys, John not 2 and Andrew 7 weeks. We stayed in Anita´s one bedroom apartment! Anita´s parents were wonderful to us and surrogate grandparents while we were there. It was obvious from (no email then) that she had met someone special at her school. When we arrived back in Auckland in 1969 we met Anita for the first time. We all became firm friends and visited their Buckland Beach home when we came back to Auckland. Des and I and 3 children moved to Hamilton in 1970.
Sadly Des died quite suddenly in 2000. I kept contact for years after that. But it lapsed in the last years. I had a text from her a few months ago saying that she had had a blood clot in her leg which then had to be amputated. I hadn´t got around to replying when I saw Anita´s death notice in the paper. I am so sorry.
Please remember me to her sisters, Carol and Marie-Jo who we met in America.
I would love to hear from you. I now live in a retirement village in Hamilton. Those two babies who we took to America are now 57 and 55 and our made in America daughter is 53!
My condolences and warm regards,
Marion Slaney

Mobile. 0274815404
[email protected]

Anita has been a true friend for 55 years and she will be very much missed by my family. Visits to Auckland just won't be the same. Thank you to her friends and family that cared so much for her while we looked on from afar.