Tributes paid to former Girl Guide leader, of Long Bennington, who died after losing cancer battle

Tributes have been paid to a much-loved former Girl Guide leader who has died after losing her battle with cancer.

Pat Fryer, of Long Bennington, passed away earlier this month, aged 73, three years after being diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2018.

Pat, who lived in Long Bennington with husband Malcolm since 1967, devoted much of her life to the Guiding movement after her young daughter joined Brownies in the early 1980s.

To cope with the extreme demand for Girl Guiding places in the local area at the time, Pat started as an assistant helper at 1st Long Bennington Guides in 1983, based in Foston, before setting up 1st Westborough Guides in 1985.

The mum-of-two devoted the next 16 years of her life to helping to manage a number of guiding units in and around Long Bennington, becoming district commissioner for Grantham District as well as the coordinator for the Duke of Edinburgh award.

After taking more of a back seat since 1999, Pat soon found herself immersed in the Guiding world again when she launched a new Girl Guides group.

Daughter Jo said: “My daughter started Rainbows when she was five-years-old, but there was no Guiding unit for the children to attend after Brownies.”

Pat helped to relaunch 1st Long Bennington Guides in 2015 and remained the Guide Leader of the unit.

Pat was born Patricia Sentance at Syston Park in 1947, the only daughter in a household of three boys.

After the family moved to Allington, Pat attended Foston Primary School before St Hugh’s School, Grantham.

After leaving school, Pat secured an apprenticeship as a seamstress at Reddish Furnishing, Grantham, before securing another job in Newark at Raymond Lilly Furnishing, where she progressed to manager of the sewing room.

Pat married Malcolm in 1967 and the couple went on to have daughter Jo in 1973 and son John two years later in 1975.

While pregnant with Jo, Pat set up her own soft furnishing business from home.

She later opened a soft furnishing shop called Revamp in Westgate in 1994 before moving the business to Springfield Business Park when she needed more room.

When she wasn’t sewing or with the Guides, Pat also worked part-time in the tea rooms at Wyndham Park.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2018, Pat endured three years of treatment before the cancer moved to her lungs and brain.

She passed away at Harrowby Lodge on February 7, after a three-week stay in Nottingham City Hospital.

Pat’s funeral will be led by Price & Son Independent Family Funeral Directors at Grantham Crematorium on March 4.