In memoriam

23 September 2009

It is with deep sadness that the University announces the death of Dr Pat Mullins.

Pat was much valued and loved colleague and educator. She was respected and acknowledged both locally and, increasingly, nationally for a range of initiatives such as her ground-breaking work in developing the National Learning Mentor programme to support and extend the learning potential of underachieving young people. She was also among the first to recognise and respond to the training needs of teaching assistants and other educational support staff, such pioneering initiatives paving the way for an increasingly popular and successful undergraduate degree programme at LJMU. Her work in developing programmes to support people with learning difficulties and disabilities, particularly in the field of dyslexia, is widely recognised as a beacon of good practice for both professionals and their students.

Pat was extremely energetic and her commitment to Special Educational Needs in its widest sense knew no boundaries. A natural and gifted teacher, she was responsible for the first MA Special Educational Needs programme at LJMU, which now has over 500 graduates. These students now play a vital teaching and development role in the community. She was also the driving force behind and the first programme leader of Professional Doctorate in Education programme at LJMU. For those of us who knew Pat, she was quite unique. She was personally respected and admired by all. She was compassionate yet passionate. Pat’s commitment to ensuring that the student was at the heart of our practice and development never faltered. Many colleagues and students will recall the profound effect that she has had on their professional careers. She was warm, nurturing and always supportive, while remaining, at all times, wholly dedicated to ‘her cause’.

She will be sorely missed by her friends, colleagues and students but always remembered as a kind, compassionate woman with a formidable intellect, great humility and, perhaps above all, passion, energy and commitment to her belief that education has the potential to change lives - particularly of those who are marginalised, disadvantaged, excluded or vulnerable in any way. This unshakeable belief constituted her ‘moral compass’ which never wavered and which she translated into action as only Pat could, influencing her colleagues, a generation of students and, and ultimately an incalculable number of children and young people- a tremendous and permanent legacy of a truly remarkable woman, whom it was both our pleasure and privilege to know.

Contributed by: Mike Aiello, Martin Cole and Chris O’Brien on behalf of ECL.

Pat’s funeral will take place at 1pm, Tuesday 29 September at Southport Crematorium. Pat’s family have placed details of the funeral in the Liverpool Echo.

The Faculty will be making a donation to Diabetes UK in memory of Pat. If you wish to make a personal donation please visit: http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Get_involved/Donate/