Having met on a blind date in 1977, and marrying four years later, Pat and Geoff lived a wonderful life full of ups and downs. From their love of classic cars, to renovating properties together, the couple were inseparable.
Following a terminal cancer diagnosis late in 2025, they turned to Hospiscare to give Geoff the care he needed.
This is Pat and Geoff’s story.
“I had a girlfriend who was a dental hygienist, and Geoff, who worked as a building trade rep, was one of her patients. She thought we’d get on, and gave him my phone number, which I was really cross about!
“When he arrived for our first date, I told him to ‘come round the back’, as I was unable to open my firmly stuck front door. On our second date, he brought his tools and planed the door down! Geoff could do everything from plumbing to plastering, woodwork to bricklaying, and rebuilding vintage cars – nothing was beyond his capabilities.
When we got married my brother, reflecting on the fact that our father was also very practical, said in his wedding speech, “at last Pat has found someone to mend her toys!”
“Life was such fun together. We never argued. We both had our own minds and careers, and we worked hard. Any ups and downs, we made through together.
“Our passion was vintage sports cars, and we loved driving whenever we could. Geoff didn’t fly but we drove all over Europe, once driving as far as Corfu. We made lots of friends through our love of cars and many of these friends travelled 400 or 500 miles to be at Geoff’s funeral.
“When I retired, I wanted to do some volunteering, so I approached the Hospiscare shop in Topsham. I worked as a volunteer in the shop and took responsibility for the jewellery.
“Some years ago when I was off work, due to a very bad accident, I popped into the shop one day and saw a beautiful necklace in the display cabinet. I took it to my friend and jeweller in Topsham to get it valued by the owner, Wendy, and was flabbergasted when she offered me £750 cash for it, which I excitedly rushed back to the shop.
“I’ve been at the Topsham shop now for 25 years, and I am very fond of my customers. I have lovely regulars, who pop in especially to have a chat and they usually buy something at the same time. The shops are essential to the hospice – we couldn’t do without them.
“I never imagined after working in a Hospiscare shop for so long, that one day Geoff and I would need to be looked after by the hospice.
“The night before Geoff went into Searle House, he’d been in a lot of pain. He asked me to ring the helpline. Without that helpline, I don’t know what I would’ve done. It was always comforting to talk to someone friendly and knowledgeable on the ward.
“Hospiscare’s Rapid Response team came immediately and they were wonderful. It was suggested that Geoff should go in for a short stay to control his pain. That was only supposed to be for five days, but his pain became difficult to manage, so he stayed until the end. Those 18 days passed in a complete blur; one day merging into the next.
“Geoff wanted to die at home, and I was worried that wouldn’t happen if he went into the hospice. However, it became evident that I wouldn’t have been able to manage his care or pain control at home. The hospice was the right place for that.
“Geoff’s time at Hospiscare was like a great big hug… the staff took care of absolutely everything. Every night they washed my clothes and returned them the next morning. I ordered daily meals and they always knew when I had forgotten to eat. Every single person was so caring.
“We were given this wonderful cuddle bed in Geoff’s room, so that we could cuddle up every night. It was very lovely. If Geoff had been at home, we wouldn’t have been able to do that, as we only had a hospital bed, with me nearby on the sofa.
“At the hospice, Julie, the complementary therapist, was great. As she was giving me a foot massage, she mentioned that she was desperate for another treatment chair.
“So I promised Julie that I would buy her one. I knew how important it was to her, and how important she’d been to us. At Geoff’s funeral, I spoke about what it was like living at the hospice, and asked everyone to dig deep to raise money for Julie’s new treatment chair. And they did. It will mean so much to her.
“Hospiscare’s support for Geoff, and for me, was absolutely wonderful. I saw for myself how incredible all the staff are, and I want others to be able to get the same care when they need it. Thank you everyone.”
Thank you to Pat for sharing her and Geoff’s story.
