Pat was born in Hove in 1924. From the age of 7 she was home schooled. Her family moved around various locations in Brighton and Hove. Pat worked as a shop assistant at a Brighton grocer shop before the second world war. She then went onto become a nursing assistant in a GP practice in Park Crescent. Later she would go on to train as a youth and community worker, practising in London, Scotland and Wolverhampton where she saw severe post war poverty and deprivation. Pat eventually returned to Brighton and joined the Quakers in 1956. Her interests included organisations that worked to support her values, advocating for peace, human rights, sustainability and the protection of animals and the environment including Age UK, Amnesty International, the Centre for Alternative Technology, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, the NSPCC, Oxfam, the PDSA, the RNLI, the RSPCA, Sussex Wildlife Trust, Unicef and the United Nations.
In 1963 Pat met Frank Norman at a Quaker meeting in Brighton. They were married the following year. Frank was a widower with three daughters, and he and Pat later had a daughter of their own, Lucy.
Pat became involved in adult education, working tirelessly for the Brighton Quaker organisation, believing passionately in the benefits of using education to promote peace and understanding. As well as teaching, she was involved in administration, planning and management of education programmes and fundraising. Pat was Principle of the Brighton Quakers for over 40 years. She was active and involved with them until well into her 80s.
In 1969, Pat worked with the Brighton Housing Trust, and was the charity’s first life president, serving on their board for more than 40 years before standing down in 1995. Pat was a Governor of Patcham Infants School for many years, and continued to be involved, volunteering with their reading scheme, well into her retirement. Pat’s life was dedicated to helping those less fortunate than herself.