Born in 1931 to George and Miriam Nowlan, Pat grew up with three brothers, George, Charles, Mike and sister Clara, in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. He graduated from Acadia University, president of his class. The still lively group celebrated their 65th reunion several years ago. He followed his father and obtained his law degree from Canada’s oldest law school at Dalhousie University in Halifax.
He met his wife, tennis whiz Cynthia Cornish, of Palo Alto California, at the marriage of her brother to his best friend’s sister. They stayed up all night talking in the lobby of the Cornwallis Inn, and conducted a long-distance courtship until their marriage at the Stanford University Chapel in April, 1956.
After a year in Nova Scotia they drove across the country with baby daughter Nancy to Vancouver and his first law practice at Guild Yule.
Pat and Cynthia loved Vancouver and quickly settled into an active life with their growing family. Linda and John Patrick Jr. were born in Vancouver. Pat liked to say he had had children from coast to coast.
Politics was a driving force in Pat’s life. He heeded the call and returned to Nova Scotia to succeed his father George, a Progressive Conservative MP and Finance Minister in the Diefenbaker Cabinet, after winning the by-election held after George died in 1965. His fourth child James George was born four days before the election.
In the Nova Scotia riding of Annapolis Valley, Pat won eight elections in total, assisted by many devoted campaign workers, constituents and his not-so-secret power, sister Clara Jefferson. He chaired several Parliamentary Committees, and ably represented the citizens of the Valley as a Conservative MP. All who knew him would agree he was independently- minded, and he demonstrated this quality by sitting as an "Independent Progressive Conservative" for the last two years of his twenty-eight year Parliamentary career.
He loved splitting wood, ocean swimming, tennis, squash, reading history and thrillers, debating, and smoking cigars. Fond of his meals, especially when they involved salmon or strawberry shortcake, Pat could also be relied on to locate the best cheese or smoked meat in each town he was in, if not the whole country.
Pat and Cynthia retired to California in the mid-1990s, and they spent many tranquil years in Carmel Valley, returning to their beloved cabin on Pasley Island in Howe Sound, B.C., each summer.
Pat was passionate about people, politics, and Pasley. (He was also known for alliteration!)
His speeches were famous, often deceptively opening with “To make a long story short….”
Pat will be deeply missed by his loving wife of 64 years, Cynthia, and their children Nancy, Linda (Jim), John (Nuket), and James; his six grandchildren; his sister Clara and brother Mike, his extended family; and many friends.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By James Nowlan
My 'Pops' is gone; from 'Father' to 'Pops'
It is with terrible sadness that I have to come to terms with the idea that my 'Pops' is gone.
First, let me say thank you to all who have written, posted, etc. kind words of my father; it is heartening to see the kindness and love, especially for my mother. It is an awful loss to our family, but it is also wonderful to see and feel the love everyone had for him.
How do you sum up a life as long and unusual as my Pops'? And how do you manage to encapsulate a relationship as deep and layered as ours? As a child growing up in Ottawa, it was a turbulent time and our relationship wasn't always the greatest, but we got through it somehow (Fathers and Sons; what a dynamic!). It was after high-school that we started a shift from my 'Father" to my 'Pops' and a friend when I worked on his re-election campaign in 1984 as his driver. That was a tumultuous affair, and led to my first grey hair for which I blamed him, good-naturedly, of course! It was then that I began to see, but not quite understand, why everyone liked him so much, why everyone called him "larger than life" and why the room changed when he entered.
Our relationship grew and deepened during my time at Acadia in Wolfville. He would come and go as an MP doing his work, and we would get together for lunch or dinner when we could; we use to joke about 'quality time' as it never seemed long enough, and it was a joke that we continued all his life.
I also worked as his driver during the 1988 'Free Trade' election, and it was then (I learned with the benefit of hindsight) that I began to see what everyone else saw and it was then that we really shifted from 'Father' to 'Pops'. There was one day in particular that comes to mind. We were on the campaign trail and we stopped at a saw mill for him to talk with the workers there. As we entered the lunch room, I looked at the faces of the fifteen or so guys, and I have to say that the reception wasn't too positive; they were determined to not listen to the (GD!) Tory candidate. Undeterred, my Pops put his foot up on a bench and started talking. He talked about the work they did, the fears that they might have had, his life growing up in the Valley, the concerns they wanted to hear about, and other issues. After about half an hour, he stopped talking and about half of the guys started clapping involuntarily because they saw the humanity, the genuine concern, and the essential goodness (but, I doubt they voted for him!). As for me, that was the day when I began to see my 'Pops' the way others saw him, although the 'Father' part never left.
In the years following, I lived and worked mostly overseas, but my 'Pops' and I saw our relationship grow and deepen, even though I don't think he ever quite understood what I was doing in Asia. It usually didn't matter whether it was a telephone call, a (rare) letter, or on my return visits to see him and my Mom, we would comfortably pick up roughly where we left off and enjoy each other's company. My 'Pops' and I have always shared a love of Politics and Public Affairs, and we had a never-ending discussion/debate on issues of the day as our way of touching base; it was a discussion that continued until a very short time before his passing. It is these quiet moments that I will miss the most; whenever I was back in Canada or California, we would often go for a smoke and contemplate the state of the world while enjoying the cottage, the sunset, California, wherever we happened to be, or just simply each other's company.
No one can ever replace their Father in their heart; I think it is part of humanity that that bond is always there. That said, it is my 'Pops' that I will miss even more; he was an ever-present touchstone in my life and things will be empty without him. In an Indonesian village where I use to live many years ago, there was a custom called "Ballallong" whereby one took a few drops of the first drink of the day and sprinkled it on the ground for 'those who came before'. I think my 'Pops' would have liked this custom, and it is something that I'll do to honour his friendship and memory.
Good bye to my Father, and more importantly, So long, Pops
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pat Nowlan’s family have been touched by receiving many memories, cards, and condolences, and wanted to share some of these thoughts:
He was his own crazy wonderful man. We knew him for so long and will miss him very much. He was a warm-hearted, enthusiastic, engaged man and I am very happy that he was so well until he really wasn’t. R.
He will be greatly missed by all our family. He and Cynthia have been a regular part of my life at Pasley since we were all very young and you two younger than I. I remember Cynthia playing tennis when she was pregnant with James. All of us staying in the beach cabin, tent and roundhouse. During the last few summers Pat would wait for James and Cynthia to go for their daily walk, he would then sneak over to have coffee with us. We always enjoyed our coffee chats with Patrick. He was an amazing man, a great character and will be greatly missed. M. & C.
I will always remember Pat so fondly. He had a great mind, but was also much fun to sit down with over a beer. I know he loved all four of you and his grandchildren so much. You are all lucky to belong to such a wonderful family. N.
I immediately thought that he was a truly larger than life character. Yes, funny, smart and with an incredible social memory about details of conversations. He seemed born to be both a politician and a renegade politician, someone who would go his own way. He somehow made me think of Celtic warriors confronting the Romans as they tried to push north in Britain, but without the cigar. (Poor Romans...) And whoever knew he would become an artist and leave you those wonderful portraits? S.
Our hearts are deeply saddened by your loss. Our thoughts are with you and your families.
So glad he went peacefully and had such a long and full life. For me, Uncle Pat defined "larger than life." I have many vivid memories of him, mostly with a ton of laughter involved. He was hilarious. His chopping many cords of wood and early morning dives/swims on Pasley come to mind. J. & B.
I have so many deep and fond memories of my Uncle Pat, going back to my childhood. He holds a special place in my heart. His warmth, his sense of humour, his passion and commitment to family and country, all combined to make him the man he was. We will all miss him. D. & A.
I am so incredibly sorry to learn of your Dad’s passing. He has been in such poor health, and then recovered so many times, I thought it would go on forever. He and your Mom were such a big part of our lives for so long. It just won’t seem the same without him to nudge me in my ribs, almost leaving a bruise, at dinner parties. We always sat whatever woman was seated next to him, just a tad further away so the impact would be lessened just a hair! He used to get so angry with me, and I with him, as I was so fiercely independent and seldom could react to his statements with as much as equanimity as your Mom could, except of course, when she chose not to. Even when he was in poor health, I can still feel the strength of his hands on my shoulders as he towered over me, either in greeting or in farewell. We used to talk about what a force he must have been when he was in Parliament. L.
He was such a wonderful guy. I have many fond memories of him, always full of life and laughter and so much larger than life. My earliest memories go back to when you were living on Sinclair Street in West Vancouver and I, and some of my grade 12 classmates, helped on his campaign to become a MLA by handing out free hot chocolate to drivers caught in the Lions Gate Bridge morning traffic jam. Most of all, my memories are of Pat and your family at Pasley. His love of cutting wood, roaring fires, cigars and of course great stories all told with gusto and enthusiasm will be with me always. He will be missed. Pasley simply will not be the same for any of us without him. B.
I have known your Dad for many years - I recall some of his antics in the House of Commons, as well as some serious and significant speeches. And then, many fun times at Pasley. A big memory for me was the years he would pull in both your boat and ours - holding the bow line in his mouth. And the waft of his cigars floating across the hill or from the deck or quarterdeck where he and Cynthia enjoyed some good libations with Bae and whoever happened to be around. Even lately, we enjoyed saying hi to him over on your Pasley deck and admired his art work. Another big loss to Pasley and to society as a whole. W.
We are sorry to hear about your father and thank you for letting us know. It is difficult to be grieving that loss in addition to Covid 19 restrictions that are currently in place. I am sure there are brighter times ahead for you and the family and our thoughts are with you. K. & I.
Your Dad was a great man and I have many fond memories of the times we had together over the years here in Ottawa and at the various Nowlan family celebrations. Please pass our deepest sympathy and love to your Mom and all the family. G.& M.
I was one of his biggest fans. He knew how to live life. He was a great man. D.
I am really sorry to hear about your dad’s passing. I have great memories of your dad from hanging out with him at Granny’s pool on Douglas Way to visiting him in Nova Scotia. H.
It is or will be a real comfort to know that your parents had lovely, long, happy, successful, interesting, fun lives. Sometimes it is just hard to remember that and put it into perspective when you and everyone around you are so sad. A.
I was so sorry to hear the news about your father. Our connection with him was the amazing safari that your parents took with us a few years ago to Africa. I remember well his good sense of humour. He will be missed. J.
I will always remember your dad as a gregarious man who laughed easily and always greeted me warmly. Please extend my condolences to everyone. My thoughts are with you all. A.
I remember your father so well during the years we were together as teenagers. He was such a fun loving person. He will be missed by many I'm sure. Hopefully you have a life time of happy memories together. J.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and virtual hugs are winging your way over the air! This year is tragic in many ways and your personal loss adds a whole other layer! Know we are thinking of you and smiling remembering your dad’s wit and boisterous laugh! P.
I was so sorry to hear about Pat’s sudden and unexpected death. I will remember him as a larger than life character and dedicated and engaging conversationalist, particularly about matters of the day. H.
I will always remember Pat’s wide smile, charm, and above all, courtesy when he welcomed us to Pasley. We will miss him. M.
I was very sorry to learn of your father’s death. A sad and hard loss at any time but particularly hard and sad in these weird and hard times. Your dad’s public service, big personality and dashing good looks made him stand out in my childhood memories. A Kennedyesque couple in Rockcliffe. K.
I am sure there are countless people your father has touched and helped over the years without ever asking for recognition or repayment so I feel it is important that I share this story along with the love, adoration and gratitude I have for this man and for your family. J.
Your loss is immeasurable but so is the love left behind. M. & B.
Reading his detailed obituary yesterday, I smiled at the ‘to make a long story short’…. That was the certainty with Pat; you always knew that you were getting a long story when the ‘short story’ heads-up was delivered! Often with a follow up ‘ so to make a long story…’ halfway through. His mind wasn’t fired by solitary observations, he engaged mind, aspect and performance. We consistently appreciated the illuminating conversations, sometimes sparking deep feelings and emotion. Personal views were encouraged, if not expected by pat and you needed to be prepared to defend your views and often take a bit of heat! That was Pat to me: you got both heat and light. We enjoyed that. Perhaps that is the Nowlan influence and depth of character: principled, resolute and forthright. So I give a heartfelt farewell to a determined man, for his years of parliamentary service, and as a special person who we had the privilege to know and whom we will miss. A.
We are so sorry for your loss and are thinking of you. We hope you are comforted by the love of your amazing, tight-knit family, and memories of JP. H, J, N &R
JP always had a way of commanding attention of the table at Christmases, and always seemed able to laugh at himself. I hope that you have been able to take some time to yourself and think about all your fondest memories of your dad. I feel so lucky to have been part of several family gatherings, and there will definitely be a large hole left by JP. J.
Your Dad was one of my favourite people. L.
I have very fond memories of meeting your Dad a few summers ago at Pasley - his vigour, charm and wit were very evident. He was clearly a force of a man. C.
We always enjoyed talking to him. He was a hoot. C.&R.
I only met your dad a few times when he visited Clara and on each occasion acted as his driver. As such, there were a few mandatory stops: In Bedford, NS a few miles from Halifax International Airport, The Chicken Burger for, of course, a chicken burger and milk shake, Hennigar's Farmers Market in Greenwich for fudge and to friends homes for a quick visit to say hello. And he explained, in detail (to make a long story short), the meaning of gravitas to me. N.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To leave an online condolence for the family, please visit our website at www.dignitymemorial.com
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.9.6