Vale Pat Garner

On behalf of our entire team of staff, board and volunteers we wish to acknowledge the recent passing of Pat Garner.

Pat was a very much loved member and supporter of our organisation with a rich history of contribution. His long involvement and sense of altruism and generosity was highly valued by all of us.

His enthusiastic participation in supporting our annual Christmas Hamper project, treatment-interactive events and other key activities has had a very real and long-lasting impact on the wellbeing of those most marginalised with our community-led response to HIV.

That generosity is exemplified in his daughters Sarah and Lisa’s gesture regarding posthumous donations in leu of flowers at his funeral. We cannot express adequately what this means to all of us.

In the early years of People Living with HIV Victoria’s (Now Living Positive Victoria) Christmas Hamper Project Pat and his family would volunteer their time to visit patients in hospital and deliver hampers and provide a much needed cheerful connection to folks who were experiencing long periods of hospitalisation across the holiday period.

Sarah has very fond memories of her own engagement with her dad and our organisation as a shy young woman in her 20s, warmly welcomed by the likes of John, Barry, David, Suzie and Shane who worked to deliver the program.

The eldest of 15 Children, Pat was also heavily involved with programs at the Catholic AIDS Ministry and was well known for ‘running a book’ each year on Melbourne Cup day.

Sarah reflected to us just how much Pat loved being a member of Living Positive Victoria and that he showed those around him how to be kind, forgive easily and live with a big open heart.

”Actually in his last days he said to me one afternoon that he had to get to the AIDS conference and where was it. I said to him that there wasn’t one on at the moment, but that I was going to the big one in San Francisco in March (CROI). He turned to me, nodded and said ’that’s the one’. I think it was him telling me not to cancel and still go”,

Pat is survived by his devoted and loving partner of 23 years, Akira, and his beloved daughters Sarah and Lisa.