Patrick Christopher Thomas Fox (5 Feb 1948 - 6 Dec 2024)

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£600.00 + Gift Aid of £112.50
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Location
Thames View Crematorium Gravesend Road Shorne Gravesend Kent DA12 3JH
Date
9th Jan 2025
Time
12pm
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In loving memory of Patrick Christopher Thomas Fox who sadly passed away on 6th December 2024. Sadly I don't know much about Pat's early life as we were 'recycled', we met around 1997/8 and were friends before we became a couple. We shared many interests but were also opposites to. He was a gentleman and very 'old school' in many ways, he saw the world in black and white and it was a challenge to get him to recognise there are always grey areas in life sometimes I won sometimes not but I respected his principles as he did mine. Shortly after we met he started working at the British museum as part of the security team, a job he loved very much and the fact that he was willing to give that up for me as I was moving to the West Country for work was an incredible thing to do, we had been apart for about 8 months as one of those grey areas got in the way, but remained friends. When he learned that I was moving away he told me he loved me and was willing to give up his job, his flat and work on the grey area for me, it was pretty overwhelming, as many of you will know Pat was not a romantic or given to big gestures but he loved deeply. So we moved to Somerset, he got a job working for the Post Office in cash handling, he loved the fact that he was out and about driving around the west Country & Wales. Many of you may not know he was something of a hero, one day, when working alone in South Wales he came around a car which had run into a lamppost and was on fire the driver was unconscious and Pat was unable to to open the door so used his arm and brute force to break the window to get the driver out. He phoned me from hospital to say he was fine but had hurt his shoulder so his manager was bringing him home, I didn't know the full story until he arrived home that day. Unfortunately the driver did not survive which was very sad. Some while after starting with the Post Office Pat became the union rep, it was a role he enjoyed and excelled at, although it was the bane of my life as his phone never stopped ringing, daytime, night time, weekends, it drove me crazy but he took it very seriously and because of that he had the loyalty and affection of the men he worked with. In our off time he enjoyed visiting antique markets, Country fairs and various places on the Somerset coast, Kilve being one of his favourites which we often went to on the weekend when my sister and brother in law came for the weekend. Or we'd visit them in Hampshire and explore the South Coast, those weekends were some of our favourites, a bit boozy but with some fresh air and exercise thrown in.
We moved back to Kent in December of 2006 with Pat managing to get a transfer with the Post Office to Dartford and despite promising not to be the union rep there he succumbed to pressure and took it on, but realised after a while that there was not the unity there that there had been in Bristol so resigned the role. He did still love driving around the Kent countryside on his rounds often working a 'one man rout', it was while on one of these in2009 that he was involved in an accident on a retail park in Broadstairs where he sustained a severe concussion leaving him with amnesia which was quite severe. Although he knew me he had no memories of our life together, or where we lived, pretty much everything had gone, most of it came back over time but the were always patches that were lost forever. And despite numerous neurological assessments his short term memory was affected to the point that he could not recall the security processes necessary for his job so he was medically retired in March 2010 having worked part-time in the depot for a few months. In the November of 2009 the love of his life joined our home, Connie a springer spaniel she was an amazing dog and came to us at the right time, giving Pat a reason to get up and out everyday as having to stop working was really hard for him. She was a beautiful well trained 'Pat was amazingly good at that' so they spent hours walking around the local countryside. He joined a local shoot and would go 'beating' on a Saturday and often on Sundays we'd go off to the Kent coast with Connie. In the early hours of Christmas eve 2014 Pat had a severe heart attack and was blue lighted to William Harvey Hospital at 4.50am where he had 3 stents fitted. When they wheeled him our of the 'Cath lab' at 7.40 he was sitting up on the trolley, he smiled at me and said 'I feel terrific' and he came home on boxing day.
Although he was well again he never really got all his strength back, he and Connie still went for long walks but it turned out he'd often sit on a bench and fall asleep. Our garden was another shared joy both in Somerset and here and it has gone through a few incarnations over the years, and following his retirement his days were spent out there pottering about, he always wanted to fill every corner so I would have to be the voice of reason to keep it manageable. In 2018 Pat was in and out of hospital with sepsis and kidney stones for about 6-8months, one of which was very large and difficult to remove. When he came home for the last time he had lost a lot of weight and was looking quite frail. It took time to build him up again and eventually we were getting out and about often with Terry and Linda the neighbours were were blessed with after Brian died, but he spent far less time in the garden than before and it took me a while to realise that he didn't want to see it looking as messy as it was, it wasn't neglected but not as well tended. So we had it revamped, more patio areas, artificial grass and pots which are much easier to manage and it helped to get him to garden centres and nurseries he still wanted to fill it up. We would often spend an evening having a drink or two with Terry and Linda in the pergola Terry had built on the Back of their house, Pat always admired it an said he enjoyed sitting there so Terry offered to build us one too, he was the tradesman, I was the labourer and Pat was the foreman, so pointing out what would be better, it was a lovely summer and he enjoyed seeing it going up.
In June 2022 we lost Connie to cancer, Pat was devastated and I don't think he truly got over that and he was not terribly enthusiastic when I said I was looking for another dog but a small one it took him some time to warm to Lilly but I have some lovely photos of her cuddled up on his bed with him. Having the stroke on his birthday was devastating for both of us, but for a man like Pat I can't imagine how he felt as apart from telling me he didn't want me caring for him crippled, he kept his thoughts to himself, on the evening of the day he died he took my hand and said sorry I told him there was nothing to be sorry for its not the life we hoped for but that's what marriage is about and were out situations reversed he would do the same. I was so lucky to meet him and be loved by him and I'm not sure how ill go on, but I will because he'd tell me to

Jim, Anita Michelle & Gemma Fox donated £100 in memory of Patrick

In memory of Pat ❤️ xx

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Dan Fox donated £50 in memory of Patrick
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Danielle Pasquale donated £10 in memory of Patrick

Sweet Dreams Pat. Xxx

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Danielle Pasquale lit a candle
Danielle Pasquale wrote

The fantastic Mr Fox, what a wonderful Man, one that will be missed by everyone who knew him. Thinking of the family at this sad time. Sweet dreams Pat. Rest well in Heaven. Lots of love, LoL. Xxxx

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  • 🥰

    Posted by Karen on 10/01/2025 Report abuse
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Irene and Hugh McCarthy lit a candle
Teresa Fox Drummond posted a picture
Foxy x

Foxy x

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Teresa Fox Drummond posted a picture
Pat & Joe xx

Pat & Joe xx

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Teresa Fox Drummond posted a picture
Pat & Joe xx

Pat & Joe xx

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Teresa Fox Drummond posted a picture
Pat’s Children Joe, Helen & Amy xxx

Pat’s Children Joe, Helen & Amy xxx

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Teresa Fox Drummond posted a picture
Paddy & Tom 💚🦊

Paddy & Tom 💚🦊

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Teresa Martin Neil Rachel Isaac Andre Fox Drummond donated £100 in memory of Patrick

From all Teresa’s family

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Christine Longmore lit a candle
Christine Longmore donated in memory of Patrick

Rest in Peace Pat. You don’t suffer any longer thankfully.

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Christine Rixson ? donated £50 in memory of Patrick
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Joseph Fox donated £50 in memory of Patrick

For Dad

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Helen Fox donated in memory of Patrick

Love you, Dad x

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  • ❤️❤️

    Posted by Karen on 8/01/2025 Report abuse
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Joanna Mccarthy wrote

For pat x

When I am gone

When I am gone, fear not to say my name
Nor speak of me in hushed tones
As though it were shame for me to die.
Let me figure in your daily life.
Speak of my loves and hates;
And how I used to talk and laugh.
This way I’ll be forever in your memory
Remember the good times,
Remember the laughter, not the tears
The loving, not the anger
The courage, not the pain
My beating heart is still
And I do not want anyone to be sad.

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  • Lovely Jo.xx

    Posted by Karen on 8/01/2025 Report abuse
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Joanna Mccarthy is attending the funeral
Joanna Mccarthy lit a candle
Neil Fox is attending the funeral
Neil Fox lit a candle
Neil Fox wrote

Rest in peace Uncle Pat, I say rest but would imagine it'll be quite lively up there with Uncles Tom & Pete having the craic too. You're back with Nan & Grandad too Pat. I hope we keep you all smiling up there. Until we meet again. Sionnach Abú

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  • Also with Cousin Simon too, sorry still getting my head around that Si's not with us anymore either. 🕯️

    Posted by Neil on 8/01/2025 Report abuse
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Jim Anita & Gemma Fox lit a candle
Jim Anita & Gemma Fox is attending the funeral
Chris Keenan wrote

The Keenan family, (Pats cousins) Susan, (myself Christopher) Margaret, Angela, Paul,Michael, and Terence, and their families were all very saddened to hear of cousin Pats passing. Patrick, or "Paddy" as most of us called him when we were growing up was (in his younger days) a bit of a lad, full of mischievous fun. Always ready for a laugh, However he had a serious side too. And I wasn't surprised to hear that he made a good union representative, because although he was always ready for a giggle, he was no fool, and I imagine that he would easily hold his own, and get his point across in any negotiations that he was involved in. He was a wise man, and a good speaker. I would describe him as someone whose attitude to life, was to keep it it light and cheerful. But thoughtful and serious when it was needed. My memories of him are light hearted ones. When I was about 17 I worked with him for a week contracting for the Ford motor company during their 'annual shut down' at Dagenham, together with our "Uncle Mick" It was hard work taking down and replacing light fittings, but there was so much laughter and silly antics there too. I remember stopping at The Albion pub at Rainham most evenings for a pint on the way home even though I was just 17 at that time (perhaps I might have been on lemonade)? As years went by our paths didn't cross as often as they once did. And when we did meet it was more likely to be for a sad occasion, (such is life.) I believe the last time we met was at my dad's funeral. However having just written 'sad occasion' I'm thinking about it, and I might take that back... Because as it happened it turned out to be more of a celebration of life, remembering the man that had lived, rather than dwelling on his passing. We were laughing and recalling good times, and it felt the right way to be. And I am quite sure it will be the same for Pat's, 'send off' remembering the good times and his sense of humour. Farewell, and rest in peace Pat.🩷

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  • If I recall correctly that's the funeral where you all sat drinking whisky into the wee small hours. Pat said it was the best funeral he'd ever been to.

    Posted by Karen on 7/01/2025 Report abuse
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Margaret Bigland donated £70 in memory of Patrick

From your cousins (Keenan Family)

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  • 💕

    Posted by Karen on 6/01/2025 Report abuse
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Leanne McCrory lit a candle
Margaret Bigland lit a candle
Michelle Smith is attending the funeral