Remembering Paddy

Remembering Paddy

Patricia (Paddy) Burberry was born in Edinburgh in 1928, a few minutes before her twin sister Jean, who is still living today in Welwyn Garden City. They had an older sister Maureen. Paddy’s mother was Margaret and her father was musician Michael (Micky) Burberry, who played in Billy Cotton’s Big Band, and with Ensa during the Second World War.

Paddy was proud of her Scottish education, and completed it by learning Pitman’s shorthand. The twins moved to London and Paddy became a secretary in an architect’s office in Soho. In 1954 Paddy married Sam Jacobs in Streatham and they lived in south London; Paddy’s happiest home being in Dulwich Village opposite the art gallery which she loved.

After her children, Nick and Alison, were born Paddy did not return to a paid secretarial position, but did lots of volunteering, including working in hospitals with the elderly.

Sam and Paddy spent their honeymoon at Helford Passage, and returned there in 1964; the start of a life-long love of Helford and its river, that saw them coming back each summer, and then each summer and Easter.  In  1970, they bought the old Chapel in Helford, where they spent four months of every year, and more as they grew older, eventually moving there permanently in 2019. Sadly, this was the year in which Sam passed away, but Paddy remained in Helford, the place they had loved since their very first visit.

Paddy had a terrific sense of fun, which was often on show. She was artistic too and loved painting and crafting. One of her creations is still mounted on a boathouse in the village. She was also a book binder, as well as being a near professional level cook, as her family and friends can testify!  She and Sam enjoyed sailing on the Helford River, and were supporters of the Helford River Children’s Sailing Trust, and the RNLI (Lizard Branch).

Paddy was a caring, loyal wife and mother. One of her previous neighbours in Helford came all the way from up-country to say goodbye to Paddy at her thanksgiving service, remembering her as the best neighbour she had ever had, and how welcoming and helpful Paddy had been to her.

Our Memory Cafe in St Keverne did not have the pleasure of knowing the younger Paddy, but we did have the pleasure of knowing her latterly. Some of our happiest moments with Paddy came when joined in with chair exercises and her enjoyment of listening to music, occasionally quietly singing along. She was a feisty character who knew her own mind, and for whom we developed a soft spot in our hearts.  At Forget -Me-Not Memory Cafe, we will always remember her with fondness.