March 17, 1940 – February 4, 2025
Patricia Ellen Beatrice Valentine was born March 17, 1940 in Calgary, Alberta. After high school, Patricia moved to Vancouver to complete her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1962. Her class of 16 was the first in a new program in nursing at UBC. After working in psychiatric nursing, Patricia continued her further education with a master’s degree in sociology from the University of Calgary in 1973. She then joined the UBC Nursing faculty for several years, serving as “Third Year Coordinator” and offering continuing education workshops on “Communicating in a Helpful Way.”
Relocating to Edmonton, Patricia completed a PhD in educational administration at the University of Alberta in 1988. Her dissertation was on “A Hospital School of Nursing: A Case Study of a Predominantly Female Organization. She was appointed Associate Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta in 1987, where she was on faculty for many years, ultimately serving a term as Associate Dean. During her U of A years she developed a program of research in the gendered aspect of organizational behaviour in nursing, and also served as the Director of the International Nursing Centre at U of A. Patricia’s research works can be seen at: https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Patricia-EB-Valentine-38517337
Patricia is remembered by colleagues for her commitment to her students and her dedication to improving nursing education to reflect women’s perspectives. She was a consultant in nursing education at Kuwait University, at Sapporo Medical University and the University of Ghana in Accra. Patricia especially treasured her visits to Japan, France and Iran. She loved learning about new cultures and was a regular patron of art galleries, dance companies and symphonies. She adored the colour celadon and collected many vases in that shade. When she retired to Victoria, her admiration for Japanese art led her to study Ikebana. She delighted in plants and gardens, as well as cats, especially those of Siamese breed.
Patricia died suddenly February 4, 2025, after an accidental fall at her Victoria residence. She was pre-deceased by her parents, Thomas and Lillian Valentine and is survived by her brother Roland (Martine) and her nephew Christopher, residents of Calgary.