The Oundle Society is deeply saddened to have learned of the death of one of its most loyal and generous benefactors, Alex Patrick. He passed away on 18 April after a period of ill health, with his wife, Val, at his side.
J. Alexander Patrick CBE DL (Ldr 1962) donated over £1 million to the Oundle School Foundation, and it was his support and his vision that made the original Patrick Centre for Design and Technology a reality in the late 1990s. His continuing support helped to enable its refurbishment and extension in 2016, when it was renamed the Patrick Engineering Centre.
Alex was involved in the family business throughout his life, in addition to numerous charities. He was Honorary Life President of Muscular Dystrophy UK, Chairman of the Joseph Patrick Trust (Muscle Equipment Fund), Governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and Honorary Visiting Fellow of Green Templeton College, Oxford. He was also a founding Trustee of the Lord Lieutenant’s Fund for Youth in Cornwall. He was a Deputy Lieutenant for the West Midlands for many years, giving considerable time, as well as his characteristic care and attention to his local community.
The Head of Oundle School, Sarah Kerr-Dineen, said:
“We will all miss Alex terribly here at Oundle. He was a great friend to us and a lovely man. We will be forever grateful for his generosity, and his name will live on in the Patrick Engineering Centre and all he helped us to achieve in the field of engineering.”
