We have known Patrick for over 20 years and spent many moments together in England, Les Arcs and Aix les Bains.

If we were to describe Patrick with one word, “passion” would be the one: passion for life, passion for everything he did and passion for communicating about it. The second word to describe him would be almost boundless “energy”.

We saw him just after his heart attack, from which he seemed to have recovered well, sharing his plans for where he would go walking while recovering for a month before being back on the ski slopes in February.

The first of Patrick's passions we knew about was for the French language, the French club and a certain French lady.

Then we learned about his passion for ballooning. We helped recover the balloon driving through English along narrow and hardly passable English country roads, trying to follow Patrick and the balloon up in the skies. The first of January 2000 will always remain one of ourfavourite memories. Having celebrated the coming of the new millennium with the French club until the early morning hours, Patrick arranged a balloon flighton this glorious, very sunny morning which ended with a landing in the field of a farmer that Patrick knew very well and who came out with his wife to greet the landing party with champagne and mince pies.

Talking about passion; wood and wood working was a major one of them. Not only did we hear stories about the company (Latham) and the best boss (and best pension) in the world, but we saw cabinets being made, flooring put down in Les Arcs and a foldable Scoelbak board being made, having discovered the game in our garden. We received memorable gifts, such as a travel sized cribbage game and a planter for bulbs that is still in use. He even talked us enthusiastically into buying our own router, a piece of wood working equipment that we had never heard about before and that reminds us of him….With Patrick looking at a piece of furniture turned into a detailed analysis of the tree that had provided the wood, the country the wood came from and other fascinating details.

Boundless energy expressed itself in mountain biking down scary forest slopes by night in England, skiing in the Alpes down black runs, jiving or lindy hopping with the Jazz club or at his 65th birthday party. Patrick was a keen (pub)walker and we did many outings together. We also shared or heard about strenuous mountain trips both in the UK and France, like the hikes up mount Snowdon at the beginning of the century and the Tour du Mont Blanc in 2007.

There were other, calmer passions too: growing vegetables in the allotment garden, golfing, puzzles and repairing, improving upon and beautifying the MG. Patrick got a kick out of being a member of the MG club and going on tour with like-minded people to discuss the merits of a particular valve or grease.

We will miss the end of/beginning of the year celebrations in Les Arcs with Véronique and Patrick which consisted of arriving loaded with gear and food, skiing, seeing the décente au flambeau, fireworks, drinking hot chocolate and mulled wine, preparing a sumptuous meal together, Patrick playing the trumpet, and enjoying the slopes in glorious sunshine when everyone else was recovering from the night before.

Patrick, you will never be forgotten. Many fond memories are associated with the years when we saw each other or just spoke on the phone.

Uta & Christian.