Blood services champion is 'greatly missed'

Pat Wells wanted to give back to the community 20 years ago by volunteering.

By BETH N. GREY, Times Correspondent
Published January 26, 2008

ADVERTISEMENT Pat Wells, 77, died Jan. 8 of an aneurism. She had been honored four days earlier for 20 years of service. [Times (2001)]

SPRING HILL - Among Pat and Bill Wells' four children, one is developmentally disabled. As Pat Wells grew into her role as a caregiver, she got a greater appreciation for the needs and benefits of community health services.

When the family moved from Silver Spring, Md., to Brookridge 32 years ago, Pat was committed to giving back to the community.

"Twenty years ago, she was chair for a blood drive at Brookridge, then started to work as a blood program volunteer with Brookridge Regional Hospital," Nancy Goertz, district administrative assistant with LifeSouth Blood Services, said Friday.

"When LifeSouth came in and started doing blood drives," Goertz continued, "Wells coordinated volunteers, about 20 people who would do anything that needed to be done."

Wells wrote letters. She made sure notices got into the media of blood drives in the community.

"She had motivation, she had a joke, she had a smile. You never heard from her "that's not by job,'" Goertz said.

On Jan. 8, just four days after LifeSouth honored her for 20 years of service, Pat Wells died of an aneurism. She was 77.

LifeSouth already was planning an anniversary celebration, and organizers went ahead with the event on Friday. With their children, grandchildren and friends, particularly from Brookridge, in attendance, Bill Wells accepted a certificate of recognition for Pat.

It was not the first time Pat Wells' work had been heralded. In 1994 she received the Volunteer of Year Award from the American Association of Blood Banks.

"We flew her out to California for it," said LifeSouth District Director Ed Downey. Earlier, Wells was honored with the Outstanding Volunteer for the Florida Blood Bank Association, he noted.

"She was a pillar for us in the community," Downey said on Friday. "She manned phones, called donors, greeted and registered donors, developed a volunteer corps, worked in recruitment, then sent thank yous.

"Pat was just somebody who wanted to give back and serve," he added.

"She just wanted to volunteer," said her husband, Bill Wells.

In 2000, Pat Wells spoke to LifeSouth about her need to earn some income, Downey said. "We looked at all she did. We created a hiring position as recruitment volunteer," he said. She worked 36 hours a week since then.

The celebratory cake on Friday painted the image of Pat Wells. The frosting showed a calm woman surrounded by notes: To Do List, Top Priority, Really, really, really urgent, Don't Forget, Get this Done.

LifeSouth volunteer Frank Riley of Brookridge, whom Wells corralled, said, "She's going to be greatly missed."

Added Spring Hill volunteer Roger Augustine, "I didn't realize she was here so long."

Both men are couriers, shuttling blood donations weekly to hospitals outside Hernando County when there isn't a need here.

District director Downey added, "She believed in what she did, a real champion. She saw the impact of giving blood. She'll be missed. It's going to be hard shoes to fill."

Beth Gray can be contacted at graybethn@earthlink.net.

[Last modified January 26, 2008, 02:36:24]