Pat Hazell
Mavis June Coleman was born in Grenfell on August 22, 1936.
Mavis was better known as Pat, and her name came about through her brother Ozzie, who came back from WWII and wanted a baby brother and had the name Pat already picked out.
Pat always celebrated her birthday on August 23, and it wasn’t until applying for a passport five years ago, that the information on her birth certificate said she was born on August 22.
Pat’s parents were Arthur William Coleman and Elizabeth Magdolina Spliet. Pat’s siblings on her father’s side were – Ted, Ida, Freda, Ozzie, Neville and George, who died at a young age.
Pat’s siblings on her mother’s side were – Bruce, Vince, Freda, Vera and Marie.
Pat is survived by Neville and Marie.
Pat went to school at Bogolong and Driftway, then Grenfell. She often used to talk about riding her horse, Dolly with Marie to school.
On their way home from school one day, they wanted a drink because they were so thirsty, they jumped off their horse at a dam, had a drink and much to their surprise looked up and saw a dead sheep on the other side.
Pat and Marie often harnessed the team of horses at Lilyvale and used to jump between the horses to hook up the chains and from this Pat had a great understanding and love of horses.
One day, driving the horses, ploughing with her father, Pat fell under the plough and knew to say “Woo” to stop the horses, this saved her foot from being severely damaged. Pat was still riding horses up to ten years ago.
Pat met the love of her life (Tom Hazell) in the mid 60’s when she picked up some furniture off the train at the Goods shed. After this, romance bloomed and Tom and Pat were married in Cowra on October 4, 1968.
Pat and Tom were married for 43 years and 9 months.
In this time Pat and Tom had a very fulfilling life in sport and family.
Pat’s sporting career consisted of playing tennis, squash, indoor and outdoor bowls and from the sideline of the trotting track, she was part owner, the advisory driver, trainer and financial advisor especially of the winning horses.
She enjoyed traveling to numerous tracks to watch Tom and their beloved horses.
Pat knew her beloved horses so well, one particular night at the Young Trots, Tom was thrown from the gig and Billy (the horse) kept on racing without Tom in the gig and the clerk of the course and some gentleman from the crowd tried to slow him down but did not succeed and as Billy came past Pat, she stepped out of the crowd and onto the track and said “Woo Billy Woo” and the horse slowed down and trotted back to Pat. Proving a very strong bond between the two.
During her time playing squash she collected many trophies including: B grade champion, while playing people half her age.
On retiring from squash, she decided to play indoor bowls seriously, partnering Tom on many occasions, winning at mixed, indoor and outdoor bowls.
Pat also achieved singles, doubles, triples and fours championships numerous times.
In 1988 she achieved her ambition, by winning the singles championship against her lifelong friend and worthy opponent, Elaine.
Pat made many close friends at indoor bowls, especially the three P team, which was Pam Smith, Pauline Thompson and Pat Hazell and oh boy, did they enjoy their bowls.
Pat also won the indoor bowls NSW Country Championship in mixed fours in 1992 against metropolitan district giving her a NSW title.
Stan Hancock noticed Pat playing indoor bowls and asked her to give outdoor bowls a try, where he taught and coached her the game and many a time you could hear Stan telling Pat “Don’t do as I do, do as I say!”
From this Pat became a very competent outdoor bowler.
Pat’s other great love was her family and cooking.
She was famous for her baked dinners, chocolate cake, lamingtons and caramel pie.
In fact, Clayton liked her lamingtons so much, Pat would make them for him and he would take them to school and sell them.
Pat was a great referee on family disputes as to who would get the caramel pie, especially between Trevor and Dawn.
Pat was also a great BBQ advisor on how to cook the chops properly, but never succeeded on teaching Larry, Paul or Trevor not to burn the chops.
Pat was a great one for birthdays and Christmas, never forgetting anyone’s birthday in the blended family that we have especially her 13 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.
Her sporting gene lives on in all her grandchildren, where she supported and followed them in their chosen sports. Pat went to Sydney to watch Sammie play soccer at the Youth Olympics and whilst having lunch at the Blacktown food court an alarm went off and her loving son-in-law told Pat it was a “Bomb”, at which Pat promptly ran up the escalator, leaving the rest of the family behind, and then she realized that everyone else was still seated, so she returned to tell them that they had to leave now, and Trevor and Tom said “No, we have paid for our meal and we are finishing it”.
After a few more panicking gestures from Pat, to say they had to leave, Trevor finally told Pat “It’s alright, it’s a Fire Drill!” Needless to say Trevor was in trouble from Pat, once again. Besides being busy with her sporting and family commitments, Pat was also a very hard working person.
Pat worked at the Grenfell Hospital for a number of years under Matron Wood on the domestic staff, especially enjoying the maternity wing.
She also cleaned at the TAB, Grenfell Motel and worked at the Grenfell Chicken Farm on the Cowra Road and one day she found a three legged chicken, and if this wasn’t enough she was also a domestic maid to many farming families in the local district.
Having owned a few properties with Tom, Pat was a shearer’s cook, tractor driver, drover, butcher, wood carter, painter and foster mother to numerous lambs, piglets, foals and poddy calves where she learnt to become a rodeo rider very quickly.
Her love, knowledge and values of life will be sadly missed by all. Vale Pat Hazell.
Thankfully read by Keith Brus
Regretfully omitted from the
ulogy of Pat Hazell
Pat met the love of her life (Tom Hazell) in the mid sixties when she picked up some furniture off the train at the goods shed.
After this romance blossomed and Tom and Pat were married in Cowra on October 4, 1968.
From this union Tom and Pat’s family became six – children Patrick, Sue, Donny, Larry, Paul and Linda.
They all spent 43 years and 9 months together with 13 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.