Patricia Florence Kenyon (nee Arnold) passed away on August 25, 2026, with her family at her side, just a few weeks before her 100th birthday. She was born and raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and remained proud of her prairie roots all her life. She attended Victoria Public School, Nutana Collegiate, and graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1947. Pat married Leroy Kenyon in 1949 and together they raised 5 accomplished children: Cynthia (George), Jane, Jim (Louise), Craig (Donna), and Patty-Jean (Larry). Pat and Leroy had 13 wonderful grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Pat was a busy mother and committed volunteer throughout her life. Her volunteer activities included English teaching with the Open-Door Society, peer-support for women post- breast cancer surgery, Meals on Wheels, ‘knitting for a cause’, and many activities through the United Church of Canada in Regina, Saskatoon, and Nanaimo. She was an accomplished china-painter and coached many others in the art. She has left her family some of her lovely work. Pat was an excellent knitter, working on a blanket for the newest grandchild until shortly before her death. She and Leroy had many friends with whom they enjoyed playing bridge, cross-country skiing and sharing dessert.
In her youth Pat spent her summers at the family cottage at Emma Lake. Her children were fortunate to grow up enjoying the freedom of the cottage; swimming, fishing, and enjoying the outdoors. Even with four children under 5 years, Pat loved the cottage and thought of it as a vacation!
After Leroy retired, they moved to Nanaimo BC where they developed a circle of card-playing friends and continued to be engaged in the community. Their children and grandchildren congregated each summer at their home in Nanaimo. Grandmother Pat always had fun activities for them like baking mini-loaves of bread and painting and firing tiles. All the grandchildren loved going to “Kenyon” beach with grandmother to look for sand-dollars, crabs, and other beach creatures. Later, Pat and Leroy moved to independent seniors’ living in Vancouver to be near family.
Pat was an eager adopter of technology and even at 99 was busy emailing and texting her adventurous children and grandchildren, spread out around the world. Everyone checked-in regularly with Grandmother, the family matriarch, so she could keep track of everyone. She was curious about the world and followed the news until her final days. She loved a political debate even when not everyone agreed with her opinions.
Her message to her family was “laugh a lot and take care of each other”. She asked her ‘personal digital assistant’ for a joke and some lively music every morning. She certainly took care of those close to her. We will all miss her.