Allan and Shirley Patterson reunite at Glendale Crossing
Kristian Partington

Life has a way of putting distance and time between brothers and sisters, but the close bond that connects Shirley Patterson to her brother, Allan, has always remained strong.

During the Schlegel Olympics in mid-August, Glendale Crossing resident Shirley Patterson reunited with her brother, Allan, who lives at Winston Park.

When the pair reunited for a day in mid-August, at Shirley’s home in the Village of Glendale Crossing in London, it was like no time had passed since their last visit.

Allan lives at the Village of Winston Park and when he learned a team of competitors was travelling to London for the Schlegel Olympics, he made sure he was on that bus.

The two were always close in their younger days, says Shirley, but as life grew complicated they saw less of each other. Work and war had Allan travelling the world, and the same went for their other brother, leaving Shirley to feel at times like an only child.  

“But otherwise, we were always very close,” says Shirley.

Though the days of their youth are decades behind them, regular phone calls between London and Kitchener ensure they’re always connected.

Still, nothing beats spending time side by side, chatting and laughing and, in the case of this visit, cheering on the teams from their home villages as they competed in various events.

“Every time I walked by the two of them were just beaming,” says Winston Park assistant general manager Barb Sutcliffe.

As Allan reflects on the visit, his happiness shines through.

“I hadn’t seen my sister in two years,” he says. “I can’t get over it.

“The whole day was great, and the crowd from Kitchener was pretty good,” he adds, referring to Winston Park’s championship team.

The pair moved from event to event throughout the day, relishing the friendly rivalry that culminated with Allan’s humble pride as his team came out on top.

“My brother is a loving brother,” Shirley says, with a subtle laugh. “He didn’t gloat over me when Winston won; he was a very gracious winner.”

Shirley and Allan agree the opportunity to share a meaningful day together is something they’ll both cherish; the gratitude that flows freely is hard to put into words.

As Allan says, “It was just a wonderful day.”

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