David Pattenden, the holder of five Queen’s degrees (BA’67, MA’69, LLB’71, MEd’74 and an honorary doctorate, LLD’03), has a new distinction from his alma mater. He is one of six members of the Queen’s community (two from Law) who received the Distinguished Service Award on November 5. The award, presented by University Council, recognizes individuals who have made Queen’s a better place.
“David is a dedicated volunteer who has served the Queen’s community in so many ways, whether it is as a part-time teacher, board member or mentor,” says Chancellor Jim Leech, who hosted this year’s awards dinner. “The university is fortunate to have such an enthusiastic and generous supporter.”
Pattenden, a former CEO of the Ontario Medical Association and of UTDC Inc. (a Lavalin/Bombardier division), has served on both the Queen’s Board of Trustees and University Council and has been a strong advocate of student wellness. As a member of the W.J. Henderson Foundation Board, he has helped to direct millions of dollars to Queen’s for medical projects. He has also chaired both the Queen’s Human Mobility Research Centre and the Dean’s Committee for Queen’s Law's 50th anniversary celebrations, taught students, served on many university organizations and volunteered with a number of Kingston community charities.
His dedication to Queen’s has earned him several other honours. These include his recent appointment as Trustee Emeritus by the Board of Trustees (making him a lifetime member) and winning and last year’s Padre Laverty Award from the Kingston Alumni Branch.
Pattenden’s motive to give back to Queen’s stems from his roots. Coming from a poor, Irish-Canadian background, he says he never thought he would have a university degree.
“I felt very much like I wanted to contribute to the system that allowed me to change my life entirely,” says Pattenden. “You realize along the way that you need to help others too.”
Read the story on Law’s second 2016 Distinguished Service Award recipient, Ken Cuthbertson, Law’83 (Arts’74).
By Michael Onesi