Tributes to former Lady Mayoress of Leeds Patricia Hyde

Patricia Hyde was a formidable figure in the churches and voluntary organisations of east Leeds, and was wife to the former councillor Bill Hyde.

Pat was born and moved to Cross Gates where she attended Cross Gates Primary School before moving to Clark’s College in the centre of Leeds for her secondary education. She started work at Martins Bank in Park Row Leeds in 1949 as a clerk and secretary.

She met her future husband Bill for the first time when they were both 12 years old and travelling to and from their respective schools by train from Cross Gates Station.

On leaving school they went their separate ways until; meeting up again in Cross Gates in 1952 when Bill came home on leave from National Service in the army. They were married at St Mary’s Church Whitkirk in 1956 while Bill was back in the army.

Daughters Sue and Ann were born in 1958 and 1961, before the family returned to Leeds in 1969, where Pat became a partner in the family newsagent business, Hyde’s, in Manston.

Girl guiding became an important part of her life and she served as a guider and Cross Gates district commissioner between 1970 and 2000. She also served as a governor of Manston Primary and Colton Primary Schools.

In 1973 Pat’s husband was elected councillor for the Halton Ward of Leeds City Council and she supported his work on the council. Together they formed the Cross Gates Supper Club and organised meetings at The Courtyard Restaurant, Temple Newsam.

In 1985/86 she was Deputy Lady Mayoress of Leeds and in 2005/6 she served as Lady Mayoress.

In 1990 Pat and Bill moved from Manston to Colton, where Pat became an administrant at St Mary’s Church Whitkirk, and would help take communion to housebound parishioners. She also served on the Mothers Union committee for many years. Pat joined the Leeds Inner Wheel club in 2006 and was elected its President in 2012.

Sadly, with the onset of vascular dementia, Pat became unable to cope with this work and following three spells in hospital her general health declined and she passed away on April 1.

Husband Bill, daughters Sue and Ann, and son in law Cliff were at her bedside when she peacefully died.

The funeral is to be held at St Mary’s Church, Whitkirk on Wednesday, April 27 at 11.30am. followed by a private family committal service at Lawnswood.