Buncrana woman honoured in South Africa

A unit providing “place of safety” care rooms for abused women and children in one of the most under-privileged areas of South Africa has been set up in honour of a Buncrana woman. The Patricia Wood Memorial Care Unit in Hout Bay, near Cape Town, was opened recently following the death of Patricia Wood (nee Kavanagh), formerly of 7 Upper Main Street, Buncrana. Patricia and her South African-born husband, Gerry, emigrated to Hout Bay in 1970 where, despite having twin boys and a daughter, she was an active member of the Hout Bay Christian Community Association (BHCCA), when the charitable organisation was set up in 1994 to help improve the quality of life of local people. Following her sudden death from a heart attack in September, 2006, Patricia’s family and Irish friends in Hout Bay decided to raise money towards a project to commemorate her life and her involvement with the local community. After an approach by her husband for ideas on how to apply the money in the most effective manner to benefit the local African population, the HBCCA management committee proposed the funds should go towards the provision of a much needed care rooms. The completed project cost more than 250,000 South African Rand (approximately 23,000 euro) and her family and friends, believe it will serve as a fitting memorial to a proud daughter of Buncrana. Following her death, Patricia’s remains were returned to her home town of Buncrana and interred in the family plot at Cockhill cemetery. She was predeceased by her father, businessman William John, and mother, Juilia, a well-known music teacher who taught in the Convent of Mercy (now Scoil Mhuire) in Buncrana. She is survived by her sisters Maureen McCreedy, who lives near Maastricht in Holland, and Ailish Doherty, St. Mary’s Road, Buncrana, and brothers Brian, Millfield, Buncrana, Timothy, Thirsk, Yorkshire, England, John P, New York, and sister-in-law Maureen Kavanagh, wife of her late brother Tony.