The Tripp Family is saddened to share the passing of Pat on Tuesday, December 20, 2022 in her 91st year.

Pat was married to Leonard Dorian Tripp who passed away in 2009. Pat is survived by her daughter Lori (husband Derek Martin), son Barry, and 4 grandchildren, Jack, Heidi, Colin and Ben.

Pat was one of 6 children born to Barry and Madelyn Sullivan and grew up on Gilgorm Road in the Forest Hill neighborhood of Toronto. She was the last surviving child which included siblings Jimmy, Madelyn, Lloyd, Audrey, and Cathleen.

Pat worked in a downtown Toronto Insurance office following school at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute. She later worked as a cashier at a nearby Eglinton Avenue Dominion Store. Len was a Butcher in the store where they met. They married in 1954 and later moved to a brand new home in Bay Ridges (Pickering).

Pat and Len began raising their family, Barry (born 1957) and Lori (born 1961). When her children were off to school Pat embarked on a rewarding career providing daycare for neighborhood children through the ‘70s and ‘80s. This totaled some 32 children over the years. Known as Auntie Pat she had many joyful days loving these children as much as she loved her own. In the 1990’s her dreams came true as she became a Gramma and was able to take care of Lori’s three boys, enabling her to return to work knowing they were lovingly cared for.

Pat’s passions were often found in the kitchen with cooking and baking. Hosting Tupperware parties in the ’60s kept everything fresh. She was forever famous for her butter tarts, chocolate brownies, date squares, Nanaimo bars & shortbreads that melted in your mouth. She took “keeping Christmas” to a whole new level. She took great pride in her home and garden, doing a lot on her own when Len was working & then through the years when his health deteriorated due to Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Len was a long-term Meat Manager of “Mainly Because of the Meat” fame, Dominion Stores. Our family, relatives and neighborhood friends have fond memories of the delicious dinners Pat prepared over the years and Len’s famous steak BBQs during the summer months.

With the arrival of her first grandchild, Ben, then Heidi, Colin, and her favourite, Jack this gave Mom one of her most treasured roles, Gramma. She enjoyed many memorable family gatherings at Lori or Barry’s places over the years. There were many reasons to celebrate that always featured spectacular cake creations by Lori.

Later, after Len died, Pat enjoyed weekend invitations, with her dog Mocha, to Harmony Ranch, a trailer park for Barbershop Harmony Society members near Sutton, Ontario where Barry had a trailer. Pat always looked forward to Happy Hour in Rosedale Circle and the many weekend events that were planned during the summer.

In her 91st year, after avoiding an admission to Long Term Care, Pat passed away after a short, complicated struggle. She finally succumbed to COVID, which hastened her passing, after three years of dodging it. A life lived on her own terms, remaining in her own home, with her beloved Mocha, as long as she could… where she was happiest.

We are forever grateful to her Bay Ridges & Modlin Road support network. You supported Mom when she needed it most. You made her feel loved & remembered.

Please join us on Saturday, February 25, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Simple Alternative (1057 Brock Road, Pickering) to celebrate Pat’s life and share your memories of her with her family.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Precious Minds.
This charity provides services & support to Pat’s grandson, Jack, and will make her legacy of caring for others continue.