| Dr Pat Rawlence, to whom we are indebted for our existence, passed away on the 7th January 2009. We mourn his loss. The following details are taken from tributes to his life and work. |
Patrick ‘Doc’ Rawlence, June 25th 1916 – January 7th 2009
His early life
Patrick was born in Wimbledon and brought up in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey. His father ran the London branch of the family estate agent business but, despite the suburban surroundings, his father was a great nature lover, ornithologist and fisherman all of which he passed on to Pat. Patrick attended Canford School in Dorset and went on to study medicine at St. Thomas’s Hospital, qualifying in 1940.
China
In 1943 he joined the Friends’ Ambulance Unit, learned Mandarin Chinese and was sent out as part of the first civilian medical relief expedition to Mohei in southern China on the Yunnan-Burma border. He never lost his love of Chinese culture and food, and was eventually reunited with Chinese members of the Mohei team in the 1980s.
General practice
When his time in China was brought to an end by relapsing fever, he returned to the UK and began hospital work again. He met his wife, Jocelyn, in the St. Thomas’s Hospital Choir and they married in 1948. After a period of general practice in Nettlebed, Oxfordshire, the family moved again in 1951 to set up in general practice in Pulham Market and he was a G.P. in and around Pulham Market for thirty years.
Community work
Patrick became an important and valued member of the community, memorably taking part in many village activities, like the Festival of Britain celebrations, and ‘performing,’ year on year, at Pulham Carnival on the Surgery Team float. His caring side extended beyond his doctoring duties, and, in 1983, he set up the Les Pretty Holiday Fund arranging holidays in the UK and Europe for disabled adults in the region
Music
Throughout the years Patrick retained a love of music, re-learning to play his flute and achieving Grade 6 at the age of seventy, helping found the Pulham Village Orchestra and Pulham Music Day and becoming the oldest member of the Diss Symphonic Youth Band. His performances in Pulham Players' productions will be remembered by many, particularly, in an inspired piece of casting, as a Jet in West Side Story at the age of eighty plus.
British Motorbike Owners’ Club
His more adventurous side found an outlet in his life-long love of British motorbikes. He remained a keen rider for as long as his body (and Jocelyn) would let him and continued to be a member of BRIMBO (the British Motorbike Owners’ Club – which he helped to found) writing crosswords for them until shortly before his death.
A Word from Margery
The family tributes remembered Pat for his humanity and his interest in people and their lives. To these I add: his ability to draw people together; his interest in and love of life in general; his humour; his kindness; his intolerance of ‘humbug’ (but without rancour); his infectious love of making music and his flute playing.
Essentially Pat’s presence made us all feel better. His approach to life formed the very essence of the early PVO (or SNOBOS – South Norfolk Odd Bods Orchestral Society – as we laughingly called it in the first few weeks). He intended it to be a group of friends of all ages and varied standards meeting simply to enjoy making music together in the context of a rural village hall: a community of players in a community setting.
As such, the PVO is, and has always been, a ‘special’ orchestra. Those of us who have been a part of it during its twenty-five years say “Thank you Pat for a wonderful legacy. We indeed will miss you.”
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Of interest? |
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We are grateful to our Friends and Patrons for their
support.
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Commercial Patron: Mondi Packaging (GB) Ltd Contact details |
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Individual Patrons: Richard Bacon MP, Lord MacGregor of Pulham Market OBE, Sir Denys Roberts, Joy Wolton. |
