Patricia Noonan

Born November 3, 1930, Pat Noonan lived a full life. She loved to have fun, with a wit and a smile that could light up a room. Pat is renowned as an ardent advocate for social justice.

Pat began her commitment to making our world a better place as a young nun. She was a member of the Ursulines of the Chatham Union, having entered the order in 1948, immediately following high school. She worked with the Young Christian Students, a movement which empowers high school students to take faith-based action on social inequalities in the community. She took the name of Mother Raphael and remained a member of the order until 1971. While a nun, she obtained her undergraduate degree at Western University and took many graduate courses in sociology at Notre Dame. Thousands of students were influenced and inspired by Pat, who taught in Mount Carmel, Parkhill, Chatham, and Calgary, Alberta.

After leaving the convent, Pat taught high school in Windsor and at St. Clair College, taking early retirement so that she could dedicate her time and energy to issues she was passionate about.

A pioneer in Windsor for women’s rights. Pat was co-founder of Women’s Liberation in Windsor and a driving force behind the Women’s Place, a drop-in centre set up in the 1970s with programs for women. The Women’s Place is no longer, but it was the starting place for many of the programs and services now available to women. Pat’s advocacy for women has included involvement in Hiatus House, House of Sophrosyne, the Well-Come Centre, and Women for Sobriety.

Pat started Windsor Feminist Theatre, using the power of the arts to raise awareness about women’s issues. John McDonald, her husband and partner at the time, worked along side Pat on many plays and performances. Pat loved the stage; one of her favorite roles was Pope Joan in Top Girls. An educator at heart, Pat arranged for training for local amateurs from professional directors, writers, and stage managers.

Pat’s leadership was sought out and she was a founding member of several groups and organizations focused on equity, rights, and justice. The Lieutenant Governor in Council appointed Pat to the Board of Governors of the University of Windsor, where she served from 1991-1997. Pat was equally comfortable as a member of the Board of Governors as she was participating on a team to build schools in Nicaragua. She was an original Board member of the Windsor Occupational Health Information Service (WOHIS). Long before the MeToo Movement, Pat was a passionate member of the Lori Dupont Inquest Action Group, which successfully advocated for the inclusion of sexual harassment as a workplace safety issue in Ontario Labour law.

An advocate for the environment, Pat was a founding member of Windsor on Watch (WOW). Their work included support for residents in southwest Detroit and the Aamjiwnaang community near Sarnia to address environmental problems affecting the health of people in both communities. Until very recently, Pat was actively involved in Gaia Women of the Great Lakes Basin. a group of women from Canada and United States who share a commitment to Gaia, the planet earth, and sing a message of hope and healing for the planet with proceeds from sales of CD recordings used to support local environmental projects.

Pat was also a founding member of Women in Black, a group advocating for non-violent solutions to global issues.

Pat’s impact has been publicly recognized, including being named the first recipient of the Windsor Woman of the Year Award in 1983. In 2015, the Council of Canadians bestowed upon Pat Noonan the honour of Activist of the Year. Pat’s story and her impact on so many people and so many causes is documented in the video, “This is what a Feminist Sounds Like” which premiered at the Windsor International Film Festival in 2013 to a sold out audience.

Her life was not all meetings and issues. Pat loved golf and tennis and spent many hours on the course and on the court.

Pat recently moved to Royal Marquis Retirement Home and quickly made another circle of friends with staff and residents alike. When her health declined a few days before her death, Pat was moved to Hospice. Thanks to all the staff at Royal Marquis, the LHIN/CCAC, and the staff and volunteers at Hospice for the loving care given to Pat.

Pat was predeceased by her three brothers Martin (Marty), John (Jack), and Jerome. She has adult nieces and nephews living in Michigan and Illinois.

Energetic, smart, bold, and cheeky, Pat Noonan brought out the best in people. She empowered people and was a true friend. It is difficult for her many, many friends to imagine a world without the driving force that was Pat Noonan.

Cremation has taken place. Visitation will be held at Anderson Funeral Home & Cremation Centre, 895 Ouellette Avenue (519-254-3223) on Saturday, August 18, 2018 from 12:00 p.m. to the time of the Service to Celebrate Pat’s life at 2:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Welcome Centre, 263 Bridge Avenue, Windsor, Ontario N9B 2M1 and Gaia Women of the Great Lakes Basin, 1001-50 Hall Road, Georgetown ON, L7G 0J8.

Please join us in remembering Pat by visiting her memorial at www.andersonfuneralhomewindsor.com