Patricia (Waller)Brooker
Exactly Four months since Trish Brooker (i.e. Patricia Waller - Rhodes Graduate – early 1950’s) sadly passed away on 7 July 2009
It is exactly four months since our loving mother Trish died after a gallant and hard fought fight against Parkinson’s Disease. Not an hour in the day goes by without me thinking of her and reflecting on how wonderful she was, not only as a mother to her four middle aged boys, but to her extended family and huge circle of friends throughout the world.
Over the years my brothers and I have met many of her and Dad (John’s) very numerous and diverse friends. Dad of which you may not be aware sadly died a couple of years ago. Of Mom’s life the one thing stands out more than anything was her ability to make, keep and communicate with friends. She had kept in regular touch with so many people over the years that I thought it important to take her address book and send a letter to each person within it, as a tribute to her and her life.
Trish travelled and lived all over the world. She started in South Africa and moved with John and four little boys in tow to Bogota in Colombia, South America in 1966; not easy in those days, but she coped admirably. Over the years she moved to and lived in Lima (Peru), Aranjuez (Spain), London (UK), Durban (South Africa), Salisbury (Rhodesia), Stone house (Glos, UK), New Abbey (Dumfries, Scotland) and finally came back to South Africa, her country of birth and spent her last years in a cottage on her youngest son, my brother Geoff’s property in Constantia, Cape Town. What a life she led. Yet wherever she went she made sure she never lost contact with those friends and people who came into and influenced her life, like yourself, in such a positive way.
She was not a religious person as such, so following her wishes, we had her body cremated locally and her ashes scattered throughout Geoff’s extensive garden. Although unknown to her we have kept some ashes to scatter all over the world, because she was really a global person.
Graham (brother) visited South America on business soon after her death and scattered her ashes at the top of a snow covered mountain overlooking part of the Andes mountains, in memory of her love of South America and time spent in Colombia and Peru. Chris (eldest brother) and Elaine scattered her ashes in their garden in Johannesburg and so did her sister Nette, as a tribute to her birth place and formative years she spent in Johannesburg. Mandi and Graham took her ashes back to Sydney with them and have scattered them in the special places Mother visited and loved when holidaying with them in Australia. Marjorie and I recently held a small ceremony in our garden to scatter her ashes on the base of a small bay leaf tree we purchased called “Trish” in memory of her brilliance as a cook and having taught us all some of her skills.
Marjorie and I also visited Spain last month and scattered her ashes in the hills behind the timeshare unit she and John owned in the Fuengirola area of Southern Spain. We selected a spot next to over a 100 active bee hives. Marjorie was stung by one of Trish’s friends, just to remind us never to tamper with nature! Finally Marjorie and I are planning to visit their old home, Hole house in Dumfries, Scotland sometime next year and intend to scatter her ashes in the woods where we scattered John’s ashes a number of years ago; and alongside the grave of their beloved Labrador Bogan, a dog of exceptional character and intelligence who was taught never to foul the garden but to wait for his daily walk.
A few days after her passing we held a celebration of Ma’s life in Geoff’s large house for all local family and friends who could attend. The house was packed! A real tribute to Trish, that even though she had only been back in South Africa for a comparatively short time, she positively influenced so many people’s lives in that difficult period. Tributes were given by many to her life and particularly to those who helped her cope with the last difficult years of her life. Marie, her full time carer, companion and friend stands out as one of the main people who made sure Ma’s life was as tolerable for the last couple of years of her life. I, as a brother, must also thank Geoff and Erna for all they did for Ma to make sure she was given the love, care and attention she deserved to the end!
She was a very good person who lived her life to an exceptionally high moral standard, of which any “Christian” would be proud. She was curious about everybody and everything and loved to find out “what makes you tick”. As Chris mentioned during her celebration, she would board a jumbo jet on an overseas trip as a stranger to all and land knowing nearly everything about everybody…… she was a giver not a taker!
She loved gardens, plants, flowers, animals, insects (particularly spiders!) and throughout her life surrounded herself with nature. She knew a lot about the environment and gave so much back to her fellow man through teaching and talking about it. Very few people who met her would not have been positively influenced by her.
She was a wonderful person and I would like you to remember her that way ……..
Kind regards,
Richard (3rd and very proud son)
