JAY Llave (left) with Patti Wright, a long-time Lakeshore Charitable Foundation volunteer.
By JAY LLAVE
The Long Branch community has lost one of its unspoken heroes.
Patti Wright tragically lost her life to cancer on June 25. She helped everyone she met whether it was personal, professional, or philanthropic in nature. I was lucky enough to be affected by her energy.
Patti was the beloved wife of Jim Sanders, mother of Heather and her husband, Marc Arseneault, and Colin and his wife Katie Sanders. She died one month before her 65th birthday.
Patti had retired from a long career as a lawyer and entrepreneur. She was a talented musician and passionate Rotarian devoted to supporting youth and education, among other causes.
A long-time volunteer, she was very active and will be sorely missed by members of the Lakeshore Charitable Foundation, which was founded by the late accountant Philip Barker.
Since 2016, Patti has arranged up to 100 volunteers yearly to answer between 160 and 720 handwritten letters to Santa Claus from an elementary school in Mindanao, Philippines.
The letters to Santa were part of a school initiative. This involved preparing four letter templates, a suitable location, supplies, and managing several organizations.
Patti recruited the Etobicoke Collegiate Interact Club and Richview Collegiate Interact Club, the Rotary Club of Toronto West, the Rotary Club of Etobicoke and the Rotary Club of Willowdale to help the Foundation with this letters.
She also organized and fundraised for “Days for Girls Kits” to be distributed to girls at the school. “The Days for Girls (DfG) Pad” is a washable, reusable, menstrual health product that’s built to last and donated to girls in poor countries.
We met in 2014 during our Rotary President’s class trip to Illinois. She continued to have a passion for Youth Services and led that committee for the district of 55 clubs.
In the short time that I knew her, she has taught me patience, compassion, drive, and responsibility without saying a word. I am grateful to have met her and will try to continue her lessons in this gift called “life”.
Patti lived a vibrant and remarkable life filled with family, friends, travel, gardening, experimental cooking, good wine, and as much sunshine as she could find. Her loss has left a vacuum felt by all who were touched by her vivacious and philanthropic spirit.
In lieu of flowers, donations to The Dorothy Ley Hospice (dlhospice.org) or to The Rotary Club of West Charity Trust (canadahelps.org) in Patti’s name would be gratefully accepted. Private funeral service with public webcast on July 21 at 2p.m. Webcast and online condolences at newediukfuneralhome.com
Jay Llave is President of the Lakeshore Charitable Community and Lakeshore Accounting, at 3421 Lake Shore Blvd. W.