Get Real: Remembering my friend, Pat

My friend, Pat, is dead.

I mean, it wasn’t a surprise, we weren’t “best friends forever” or anything like that, but it’s sad, nonetheless.

Some people come stomping into your life and leave a lasting impression, and that was Pat.

Rewind seven years to August, 2014, when I was hired at McDonald’s Restaurant in Kincardine. I was almost 50 years old and I was surprised to get the job working in the kitchen – firstly, because of my age; secondly, because I’m no fan of cooking at home; and thirdly, my shift began at 4 a.m., and I am definitely not a morning person.

But there I was, in my uniform, complete with apron and hat, ready to do my first opening shift. I’d been trained for a couple of days and had carefully written down everything I was supposed to do. However, once I actually arrived on-site to do the work, the training vanished and I perhaps looked more like a deer in the headlights, at 3:15 a.m.

Enter breakfast manager, Pat Kreller, with a smile on her face, “Hey, Lizard, let’s get to work.” And it was as easy as that. She made sure I was clocked in and brought me a cup of coffee, and we worked together to get things set up for the day.

She reassured me that after about three months, things would get easier and become like second-nature, and they did. It was hard work, tough manual labour, but we got through the breakfast shift, and it was always comforting knowing she was there and had my back if we were inundated with orders, or someone called in sick, or a machine malfunctioned.

We worked together for over a year, talking about our families and our likes and dislikes, during those quiet mornings before we opened the doors at 5 a.m. She loved her family and would do almost anything for them. She also loved children and dogs, and not necessarily in that order.

And she was crazy for Christmas – she decorated every corner of her beautiful home in Point Clark – and she would post a countdown to Christmas on Facebook. She loved winter and the snow, and she was always posting photos of yet another snowfall at her place.

She was so proud of her parents, Wally and Elva Motz, who also live in Point Clark, and asked me to write a story about them on their 60th wedding anniversary. I did so, and it was a great story!

After a year at McDonald’s, I decided to switch gears and go to work at Tim Hortons. A few months later, Pat joined me there and we always enjoyed working together. I lasted about a year there, and then decided I was done working fast-food and early mornings, hung up my apron, and began to focus more on my Kincardine Record on-line news source.

Meanwhile, Pat finally got the job she always wanted, working as a bus aide for a child with special needs. She always enjoyed helping others, especially children.

Last year, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Pat’s husband, Fred, suffered a debilitating stroke. Three weeks later, she was diagnosed with brain cancer.

When I found out, I wanted to visit, but because of the pandemic, and the treatments Pat was undergoing, she said it wasn’t the best timing. So, I continued sending messages back and forth on Facebook Messenger.

Earlier this year, I heard she was really sick, so I reached out again about a visit, but heard nothing back. Finally, I contacted her sister and made arrangements for a visit a couple of weeks ago. I was bringing the coffee and muffins, and of course, they were from McDonald’s!

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but there was Pat in bed, looking the same as she always did and talking to me the same way she always had. She’d forget a name or something while we were conversing, but then we just laughed and moved on to the next subject. We talked about our families, and it felt as if we were still standing in the kitchen at McDonald’s, getting set up to open the place.

Last Tuesday, I was getting ready to go and visit her again, but her sister sent me a message that she was not in good shape, so I didn’t go. She died that night. She was 64.

Of course, I cried and I wished I’d gone to visit her more than I did.

Friday was her graveside service and there were plenty of family, friends and co-workers there. All remembering Pat, the warm-hearted, funny, wild and crazy person who came roaring into our lives and left a lasting impression.