My friend and colleague Peter Patrick, who has died of cancer aged 78, was a former chief probation officer of Oxfordshire with a lifetime passion for criminal, social and restorative justice.
Son of Ronald, who worked as a clerk at Sheffield town hall, and Lauretta, a secretary at Sheffield University, Peter was born and brought up in Sheffield, and in his youth enjoyed walking in the Peak District. After Nether Edge boys’ grammar, at the age of 18 he joined the RAF, serving mainly in Cyprus. Then in 1961 he went to the London College of Divinity to train for the priesthood. He left in his final year and subsequently became an atheist, which he remained for the rest of his life.
Peter married his childhood sweetheart, Pat, in 1964, by which time he had started to train as a probation officer in inner London. On qualifying, Peter felt he had found his niche and moved to Hull, where he remained for 10 years. He subsequently moved to Northern Ireland as an assistant chief probation officer, before being appointed chief probation officer in Oxfordshire in 1986. He was instrumental in bringing together Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire probation services to form the Thames Valley probation service.
After retiring in 1996, Peter became chair of the fledgling advocacy group the Restorative Justice Consortium and steered it to become the Restorative Justice Council. Peter championed the rights of victims long before it became the national priority it is today. He took leading roles in many Oxfordshire charities, including Trax, Safe, Victim Support and the Probation Trust.
Peter particularly enjoyed trips to the Greek islands with Pat. He also drew sustenance from walking in the countryside. At the age of 70 he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.
Peter was a gentle, modest man, never one to boast of his own achievements. He was affable and enjoyed occasional fine wine and dining.
His family life was important to him and a source of great pride and satisfaction. Peter is survived by Pat, their two children, Deborah and Simon, two grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
