It is with the deepest sadness and regret that I announce the death of Nehama Patkin, OAM, M.Mus., on this, her personal website.
It is hard to believe that anyone who was nearly 71 years old could be in the prime of their life, but Nehama certainly was. If you look at her "Profile" page on this website, you will read a long list of her accomplishments and awards. But she had much more to do.
She was supposed to be giving a free concert for children at Federation Square this very weekend, and was heartbroken that she couldn't leave the hospital to finish the planning. She was constantly thrilled by the recognition that she received overseas, and was "over the moon" after being selected to present a paper at the International Society for Music Education World Conference in Beijing in August.
Nehama strove for perfection in both herself and in her students. She was most proud of inspiring those students, and communicating to them her love of life and of music. She was also a devoted friend to everyone and a tireless charitable worker.
She was intelligent, articulate, outgoing, and an all-around
beautiful lady. She may have come in a small package, but Nehama was
all energy. She allowed nothing to get in her way while she was
organizing her many events.
Shortly before she was taken by ambulance to the Epworth Hospital,
while her organs were shutting down due to a massive and
sudden-appearing bone infection, she tried to get out of bed in order
to make sure that all was in order for a YME concert in her music room
that afternoon.
Nehama was an inspiration to all her collegues, friends and students. We are all better people for having known her. She was kind, selfless, and infinitely more patient than I was. She loved life, was passionate about music, and lived to pass on her knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm to her students. She was a cherished part of my life for nearly 22 years.
We, and the world, have suffered a tremendous loss, and she will be missed terribly. There is a hole in our hearts that can never be filled.
Kenneth E. Madl
April 3, 2010