Obituary: Sister Pat’s lifetime of faith and selflessness | Glen Innes Examiner

Sister Patricia Bartley (also formerly known as Sister Edward) passed away peacefully on Monday, May 22, aged 92.

Sister Pat entered the profession of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart (often called the Josephites or Brown Joeys) on January 6, 1954. The religious order was founded by Saint Mary MacKillop.

She taught at both Catholic schools in Quirindi and Werris Creek during the 1960s and was part of the Catholic communities in both towns and the region.

Born at Delungra on September 23, 1930, Sister Pat moved around to Taree and South Grafton with her parents Ted and Elsie Bartley before moving to Werris Creek on January 6, 1939, when her father was promoted to chief train controller with the NSW Railways.

Sister Pat had a lifetime love of music and singing starting out on an Atari 7 and the family’s pianola.

At age 14 years she performed in the Werris Creek Grand Jubilee Concert playing a pianoforte duet “Rhapsodie Mignonne” with Francis Milross. She was still belting out Take Me Home, Country Road by John Denver earlier this year.

Pat did her Leaving Certificate at the Dominican Convent in Tamworth in 1945 and 1946.

On July 14, 1947, Pat attended her debut ball accompanied by her brother Reg and dressed up to the glam in a frock which featured a spotted net skirt with lace insertions and an all over lace bodice.

Pat also loved her teaching career which included two-year stints in Rome studying Spirituality and in Chicago doing a Masters in Psychology. In later life her career branched into the profession of being a psychologist and she also participated in adjudications involving the Code of Canon Law.

She helped to establish Centacare New England North West at Armidale and Tamworth and on December 7, 2021, Bishop Michael Kennedy opened and blessed the Centacare “Reflection Room” at Tamworth. The commemorative plaque quotes Saint Mary MacKillop: “Never see a need without doing something about it”.

Sister Pat lived by that creed.

Pat was also devoted to her friends and family – her late parents, her late brother Reg Bartley, her nephews Peter and Glenn and her niece Bronwyn along with their extended families.

Sister Pat leaves a lasting legacy and her personal history now forms part of the fabric of society.

Sister Pat Bartley’s funeral will be held at 10am on Thursday, June 8, at St Joseph’s Baulkham Hills.

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