Pat Cross

2nd December 1930 – 15th July 2022

Following a stroke at home Pat Cross died peacefully in Falmouth Hospital on Friday July 15th with her family at her side. Pat was greatly admired in Port Navas for her sense of humour and her unstinting support of our community.

Twenty years ago with her husband Tom she led the successful campaign to buy the village hall for the community. She also founded our very successful winter soup kitchen.

Pat always appeared at local events dressed in style and often sporting a distinctive hat. She was a key player in Port Navas village life and we will all miss her very much.

Patricia Cross

2nd December 1930 to 15th July 2022

Patricia Cross sadly passed away in Falmouth on the 15th July 2022 after a short illness.  Born in 1930 in Liverpool the family moved to Romford where her father worked at Fords in Dagenham and later became mayor of Romford.  Pat went to the Ursuline Convent school in Brentwood subsequently working for Bass Charrington in London and then then became a PA to the labour MP Maurice Foley.  Pat was a keen swimmer and rock climber and through this she met her husband Tom who was studying at the Slade School of Fine Art.  They both developed a strong friendship with the artist LS Lowry as Tom was brought up in Manchester.   After living in France, Italy, Wales and Reading Tom and Pat both moved to Cornwall in 1976 where Tom became principle of Falmouth School of Art, living on Greenbank in Falmouth.  Tom was a well known artist painting extensively on the Helford River and also wrote number of books on the Penwith and St Ives art movements which Pat copywrote and edited.

Pat was a keen weaver and had a major role with the Cornwall Craft Association.  They moved to Port Navas in 1984 where they lived for many years before moving locally to Treviades at High Cross and had a huge role in community life where they helped the village acquire the Reading Room in Port Navas.  They travelled extensively taking 2 sabbaticals in the USA and visited Australia, Mexico, Italy and the Middle East where Tom painted and exhibited as well as in Cornwall in St Ives, Falmouth and Kestle Barton.  Through her connections and love of art she became great friends of many of the leading Cornwall abstract artists.  She could walk into the permanent gallery at the Tate St. Ives and recollect conversations, parties and friendships of nearly all the famous painters whose work hangs on the walls.

She continued to live independently in Cornwall after the death of Tom in 2009 and was active even with failing eyesight.  She had many interests including swimming and loved Test Match cricket where she went to South Africa and Sri Lanka on England’s recent tours with her family.  She passed away peacefully with them at her side – David her son and Carol her beloved daughter in law.

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