OBITUARY: Patricia Morris

12:05pm Thursday 18th September 2008

HUNDREDS of people filled the West Wiltshire Crematorium at Semington on Wednesday for the funeral of Patricia Iris Morris, of Trowbridge, who died suddenly on September 5, aged 62.

The Trowbridge businesswoman knew many people in the town through her successful businesses, the Royal Tea Room and the Curl Up and Dye hair salon, as well as her work for local charities.

Her partner Philip Gilbert - the couple lived together from 1993 to 2000, when they moved into separate flats just round the corner from each other after Mr Gilbert suffered a heart attack - described her as his rock and soulmate.

Longtime friend Molly Hopkins, who recruited Ms Morris to help stage the Lyra Girls charity fundraising shows she ran with her sister Moira Drew in the 1980s and 1990s to raise money for local medical charities, paid tribute to her, saying: "She became a Lyra dancer and enhanced all the Lyra shows with her beautiful and colourful costumes.

"She said she would give up all her talents to be able to sing but I would have given up all my talents to be able to cut and sew like she did. Most of the time she never used a pattern but the dresses were superb.

"With our numbers from the 20s and 30s, nostalgic items, Pat would watch old black and white movies to get ideas. Sometimes the Lyra Girls didn't go much on the ideas but they always turned out great.

"The audiences loved them and said things like "the costumes were beautiful" and best costumes so far".

"It was all very glamourous and rewarding because we know we were helping someone else by raising money for charity. More than once she made 26 costumes for just one number, and for another she made 30 costumes, all different sizes, and they all fitted perfectly. In all she made over 700 costumes, which have now been catalogued."