Mushroom victim Don Patterson survived a liver transplant before dying in hospital days after eating a poisonous beef Wellington served up by his daughter-in-law.
His son Simon Patterson, who missed the deadly lunch served by his estranged wife Erin, choked back tears on Thursday as he recalled his father’s desperate battle for life as his liver melted from the effects of the deadly mushroom toxins.
Simon bravely paid tribute to his parents before up to 450 mourners who gathered at the Korumburra Recreation Centre.
His estranged wife was nowhere to be seen among the sea of mourners who braved cold and wet conditions to attend the public service.
Police officers were present at the gathering, standing at the back of the centre throughout the service.
Don and Gail Patterson were farewelled on Thursday in Korumburra
Police descended on the memorial service for Don and Gail Patterson on Thursday
Simon choked back tears as he recalled the harrowing last moments of his parents’ lives.
He told the packed hall his father had been known for his extreme fitness, even in his final years of life.
‘His good fitness at age 70 – this year – also enabled him to successfully survive an emergency liver transplant a few weeks ago,’ Simon said.
‘Although sadly the rest of his body was all to sick to go anywhere past that point.’
Pastor Ian Wilkinson was the only one of four guests to survive the poisonous lunch dished up by Erin Patterson on July 29 in Leongatha, Victoria.
The Pattersons were farewelled during a private funeral last week, with the funeral for Mrs Wilkinson yet to happen.
Mourners attend the memorial for Don and Gail Patterson on Thursday
Don and Gail Patterson were farewelled at Korumburra General Cemetery on August 23
Hundreds gathered in Korumburra to farewell the Pattersons
Mourners were met with cold and wet weather on Thursday
Thursday’s memorial was the first time Simon has addressed the shocking incident that claimed the lives of his loved ones.
He recalled his mother Gail’s final text before she lapsed into a coma of which she would not wake.
The service of 450 mourners featured a heavy police presence (above)
Simon described his parents as both being pacifists, with her text ring tone sounding out on his phone to the tune of Edwin Starr’s ‘War’.
‘It was no fluke that mum’s final text message in our family group chat, as she lay in Dandenong Hospital, was ‘Lots of love to you all”,’ he said.
‘As man and dad lay in comas in the Austin Hospital in their final days and each day we were unsure whether they would recover or not, it was comforting to know that when we said “see you later” we knew it was true.
‘The only thing we didn’t know was when. I hope we will see you later. That was their hope and it is ours.’
Simon made no mention of his estranged wife throughout his emotional tribute to his parents.
Instead, his words were filled with stories of two lives that united under the common interest of love and God.
Gail Patterson’s final message to her family before lapsing into a coma
Simon Patterson paid tribute to his parents on Thursday
Erin Patterson, pictured outside her lawyer’s office this week, did not attend the service
Both Don and Gail were described as deeply religious people, with Don actively reading the bible at night up until his untimely death.
The couple had married in 1973 after growing up together in and around Melbourne’s south eastern suburbs.
Both enjoyed a love of tennis, the outdoors, piano and a deep sense of wanting to help humanity.
A large screen on the stage showed photos of the couple throughout their lives, from small children up until their final months.
Don had been a dedicated teacher, who when not teaching science and maths was educating Chinese students to speak English.
Simon described his parents as living a somewhat exotic lifestyle, that saw his family taken to all ends of the globe.
While Don had been a tech-savvy man, Simon said they didn’t possess a microwave until he was almost an adult and their family would sit down to eat together every night.
Simon said his parents had a healthy understanding of life and death through their solid faith in God.
‘Mum and dad taught us that the only side effect of being a Christian is to have a pretty healthy view of death,’ he said.
‘They acknowledged life’s transience and death’s reality as something that’s not right in the world – and so it’s very sad – but they also knew that death is not final. It’s under the authority of God.
‘Mum and dad proactively lived this out in a few ways. They would always wave goodbye when they parted ways partly because one day would be the last wave.’
Pastor Ian Wilkinson (right) was the only person to survive the mushroom lunch. His wife Heather (left) died
It is understood Simon ducked out of the service shortly after giving his eulogy in an effort to avoid a media pack.
Camera crews had been asked to remain positioned in an area out front of the centre and not approach anyone entering.
A television crew was allowed to film the service under the provision they shared it with other news outlets.
Reverend Fran Grimes had earlier lashed out the media reporting of the tragic deaths.
‘The overwhelming media scrutiny has been quite aggrieving … as homes and churches have been subject to cameras and reporters (who) descended upon this town,’ she said.
‘Many of the stories described Korumburra as a “tight-knit” community, but what they’ve actually found is a community that above all was shielding and protecting the family from heartless speculation and gossip.’
Word of Don Patterson’s liver transplant gives rise to an expectation that the sole survivor of the deadly lunch has also received a new liver.
Mystery continues to surround the recovery of Ian Wilkinson.
Last week, a family spokesperson advised Mr Wilkinson was ‘showing signs of improvement’.
What he says when well enough will likely assist detectives in how the case progresses.
Erin Patterson didn’t attend the Thursday’s funeral
Ms Patterson said she made the killer lunch with a mixture of button mushrooms from a major supermarket chain and dried mushrooms from an Asian grocery store in Melbourne.
In her statement, leaked to the media by an unknown source, Ms Patterson said she portioned the meal onto plates and let her guests pick their own.
She said she took the last remaining plate and ate a serving, later handing the leftovers to hospital toxicologists for examination.
A dehydrator she had was later dumped at the local tip amid concern her estranged husband would blame her for his parents’ death and gain custody of their two children, she said.
Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Erin Patterson is responsible for their deaths.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk