It is with great sadness that I have to report the death on January 20th of Pat Schooling, the Director and moving spirit behind Action Against Allergy. She was 93.
AAA, founded by Amelia Nathan Hill in 1978, was the first charity to be set up to support those with undiagnosed food allergy and intolerance. Amelia had suffered years of debilitating illness until, inspired by the late Dr Richard Mackarnass’ book, All in the Mind, she used elimination diets to identify the allergens that were ruining her life. She subsequently described her journey in ‘Against the Unsuspected Enemy’ the response to which led her to set up, with her old friend and fellow allergy sufferer, Aeronwy Thomas Ellis, Action Against Allergy. I do not know how Pat and Amelia originally met but, although not allergic herself, Pat soon became involved in the charity and in 1990 took over its running as director, a position that she held until her own death.
Pat was a woman of extraordinary determination. Over the 20+ years that I knew her (she invited me, along with Jackie Bonella who was at that time treasurer of Migraine Action, to become AAA trustees late in the 1990s) she had almost every joint in her body replaced, as well as contracting an exotic range of diseases. Yet her health was never allowed to stand in the way of her work. Never did an email or a query go unanswered, never did I see her uncoiffed and never did I hear her complain although we knew that she was often in pain.
On the contrary, she continued to drive AAA forward. Seminars and workshops, participation in on line forums, a long standing allergy essay competition, the charity’s invaluable ‘find me a doctor’ service, a much loved quarterly newsletter, a campaign to support older allergy sufferers and a close relationship with the Guys and St Thomas Allergy Service. This resulted in AAA launching and subsequently supporting the service’s new and extremely welcome allergy psychology service.
However, AAA was only one of Pat’s many activities. For 30 years she also chaired her local Richmond in Bloom organising committee guiding them to a gold award in London in Bloom in 2010 and a silver gilt award in Britain in Bloom the following year. Indeed the image above is of Pat announcing winners at a recent year’s awards. ‘She was a born organiser’ remembered a fellow judge, as well as a consummate diplomat, uniting residents, local representatives, traders and councillors in an enthusiastic Bloom community across Richmond.
And, as if that were not enough, with Amelia Nathan Hill, Pat also established Merton Books, at first as distributor of specialist allergy titles and then in 1997, as a publisher of original works for and by allergy sufferers. In this context Pat first met Jennifer Worth, whose life destroying eczema was finally resolved by an elimination diet. And it was Pat who encouraged Jennifer to record her memories of her time as a community midwife in the 1950s – and who subsequently, through Merton Books, published those memoirs as ‘Call the Midwife’ – now a globally renowned TV series. Merton Books is still very much in business as a publisher, a distributor and a literary agent with several titles pending publication at Pat’s death.
Sadly, both for Pat and the loyal group of members who continued to support AAA, the fund raising needed to support the charity, which had become extremely difficult over the last few years, became impossible when COVID struck. As a result, in the autumn of 2020 the decision was made to close the charity. Sad though this was, in retrospect, we are all very glad that Pat was able to put the charity that she had done so much for over the years neatly ‘to bed’ before taking her own leave.
Pat’s funeral will be on 22nd February at midday. You can watch it at https://www.obitus.com – Username Civa3692 Password 280204 – both live and watch again.
Rather than sending flowers please make a donation to the Brook Hospital for Animals, Pat’s chosen charity.
Please feel free to add any memories that you may have of Pat, or any tributes to her or her work, as a comment.
FSA – on the allergy case
A fitting tribute. I wrote regularly for Pat and the AAA newsletter, probably for the best part of a decade, and she was always supportive and complimentary of my work — not many editors are modest enough to tell you how much they learned from you. The final time we spoke she was telling me how keen she was to try out a couple of the winners from the Free From Skincare Awards, and how she hoped that our paths would perhaps still cross, despite the closure of the AAA. I’ll miss her.
From Carla Jones, CEO of Allergy UK:
Thank you ever so much for letting me know about Pat passing away. I had not heard and I am really sad to hear this news. Pat’s work was an amazing trailblazer for the allergic community and we will, of course, share this news.
From Sally Bunday, Director of the Hyperactive Children’s Society.
Thank you for your email. I am so very sorry to hear about Pat. I know she had not been well for sometime, she and I spoke about it as we kept in touch over the AAA magazine.
It must have been in November that Pat called me to say that she was no longer, because of her health, able to keep the newsletter going. Although I had no idea Pat was 93 in view of that she did a brilliant job for so many years.
It was a privilege for me to be asked by Pat to write a column in the magazine. Pat will be sorely missed.
I am so sad to hear of Pat’s death.
For 10 years, until my retirement in 2012, I was her go-to “Mr Fixit” repair man. Pat was a firm and fair employer and friend, for whom I had a great respect.
It was she who introduced me to Jennifer Worth’s published trilogy of her work. As a consequence, I was fascinated by the stories long before they became the inspiration for the TV show.
Thank you Pat and bon voyage!
From Polly James – Specialist Clinical Psychologist in Paediatric Allergy Evelina London Children’s Hospital
Dear Michelle,
Adam passed on the very sad news about Pat to me and I wanted to send my thoughts for her family and friends.
Pat was an incredible woman and I will be forever grateful for her work and dedication to AAA which enabled the developed of our paediatric allergy psychology team. The role I took up has shaped my career and I love my job all thanks to Pat and AAA!
A lovely tribute for a very special woman.
From Claire Hui – The Healthy House
Dear Michelle
Many thanks for your email. What sad news indeed – I am very sorry to hear of this having spoken to Pat on several occasions over the years.
Don and Maxima sold The Healthy House in 2019 to retire but I know that they had fond memories of Pat too. She was a tenacious lady who was very determined and clearly achieved much during her long life.
Pat contacted us very soon after we launched the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation in 2019. She asked us to contribute to her upcoming newsletter for AAA and we kept in touch thereafter.
It was clear that Pat was a remarkable lady. We unfortunately never had the opportunity to meet but her enthusiasm and energy for allergy awareness and for positive change in the allergy sphere defied her years. She will be greatly missed.
Thank you, Tanya. I know that Pat was a great admirer of your family hugely supportive of the Natasha Research Foundation and all the wonderful work that you were initiating.
I was deeply saddened to learn that Pat had passed away. She was a devoted and tireless advocate in promoting the world of allergy.
My involvement with AAA came through my search for help in resolving my debilitating depression and suicide thoughts not relieved by standard medication. After spending many hours in the libraries, I discovered Dr. Mackarness’s book ‘Not all in the mind’ ….food intolerance. Pat was instrumental in publishing my story in the AAA newsletter Spring 2006 which she linked with the the UK Mental Health Foundation’s ‘Feeding Minds’ campaign which gave the idea of food intolerance a platform.
In 2013, my wife and I started our retirement in Far North Queensland, Australia
and Pat suggested that I write a column on the allergy world in AU and any relevant research in that field, and so was born ‘From UK to AU’.
Pat will not be forgotten. Her energy, enthusiasm, tenaciousness, and dedication are a beacon of light to those who will follow her path in promoting ‘Action against Allergy’.
Thank you for your lovely words, Brian – and for your always fascinating ‘From UK to AU’ contributions to the newsletter. Indeed, Pat will not be forgotten. Michelle
At age 17, I went to work for Pat’s PR company in Richmond. Whilst I did not stay there very long, she taught me how to write a proper press release – a skill which is still with me today. I packed her orchids for a direct-mail business she had on the side and remember her close connection with Barbara Cartland, her working association with Babycham and the drinks’ industry, our Babe Cosmetics promotions, Kiwi Shoe Polishes, Battle of the Bands and many more. I was much in admiration of Pat, of her skill as a journalist – a real wordsmith – and her legendary contacts. It is the only job in my working life that I have regretted not continuing, but I was so in love with the music business that I left for a job in a record company. I met Pat again a few years later – and have thought of her over the years. I am sad to hear that she has died. I think she led a full life.
Thank you Helen – and what great memories. She truly was an amazing woman. Such diverse skills, what drive and what energy.