In Memory of Rev. Patricia (Pat) Trudeau (June 4, 1952 – December 27, 2025)

We offer condolences to the family and colleagues of the Rev. Patricia “Pat” Trudeau, who died on December 27, 2025, at the age of 73.

Pat was born on June 4, 1952, in Toronto, Ontario, the middle of three children in a faithful Roman Catholic family. She attended a school run by the Sisters of Loretto, where she was deeply influenced by their commitment to justice, service to others, and international development. Volunteering was an expectation at her school, and Pat spent her high school years actively engaged in community service.

Pat earned her Bachelor of Arts in 1973 and Master of Social Work in 1977, both from the University of Toronto. Following graduation, she worked at the Christian Resource Centre, as well as the Newman Centre, a Roman Catholic campus ministry, and chaplaincy outreach to the students at the University of Toronto, where she was a program coordinator. She also worked at Canada’s National Ballet School, in a support role with young students.

After reflecting on her vocational path, Pat shifted her focus toward therapeutic work with individuals. In 1980, she enrolled in the Master of Education program in Adult Education at the University of Toronto. While in this program, she took a three-month trip to India, where she visited Mother Theresa’s Home for the Dying and volunteered as a teacher. This period of exploration led her to break her ties with the Roman Catholic Church. Pat completed her Master of Education in 1983 and spent the next several years in counseling roles. In 1989, she became a full-time counsellor at Conestoga College, a community college in Kitchener, Ontario, where she was employed until 1997. In the early 1990s, Pat became acquainted with Unitarian Universalism.

In 1991, she married her husband, Wilburn, in a ceremony officiated by a Unitarian Chaplain. In 1997, the family moved to Pittsburgh, PA. From home base there, she continued her teaching work, including a distance learning program. In 1998, she joined the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh and became actively involved in congregational life. From 2004 to 2007, she served as dance choir coordinator and performer.

After returning to Toronto in 2007, Pat joined the Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation and became an active lay leader. She served in several leadership roles, including worship coordination. In 2011, she was an interim Director of Religious Education for the Neighborhood UU Congregation, where she provided consultation to families and supervised volunteers. During this time, she began to feel a call to ministry. As a UU minister, she hoped to facilitate meaningful dialogue and create spaces where others could explore their faith as Unitarian Universalists through words, images, stories, and music. In 2019, she received her Master of Divinity from Emmanuel College of Victoria University in the University of Toronto. The MDiv degree included three-terms of credit from Meadville Lombard Theological School Seminary in Chicago, Illinois.

The Rev. Trudeau served the Unitarian Fellowship of Northwest Toronto in Etobicoke, ON (2019–2025); the Neighborhood UU Congregation in Toronto, ON (2023–2025); and the Unitarian Congregation of Niagara in Saint Catharines, ON (2024-2025). She pursued ministry with both grace and tenacity in response to a clear and steady call. She brought a spirit of courageous curiosity to her work, along with the same zest and humor that were a gift throughout her ministry. One of her passions was her commitment to racial justice and equality, especially with respect to Black people in Canada and the US.

A central part of her ministry was spiritual guidance and pastoral care. She was also skilled in facilitation of workshops for interracial families, which she often led with her husband, Wilburn, and at times with her son, Donovan. In these workshops, she wove together stories, experiences, information, and interactive activities. Her leadership invited people to engage, no matter where they were on the journey toward racial justice.

Pat had an enthusiasm for life and approached life with a committed and positive attitude. When listening to someone’s struggles, she responded with empathy and support without conflating the person with their experience. She could hold the whole person in tender care while simultaneously offering insights and questions that invited meaningful reflection and made real change possible. She consistently created space for people to be who they are and to bring their unique gifts to light.

She was the beloved Fairy Queen of the Unicamp of Ontario for two decades, the summer retreat north of Orangeville for Unitarians. Each summer, she hosted elaborate fairy tea parties, keeping a big trunk of wings ready for the occasion, creating magical gatherings for the children at camp.

Pat is survived by her husband, Wilburn Hayden, and her son, Donovan Trudeau Hayden.

A celebration of Pat’s life will be held at 1 pm on July 12, 2026, at the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, 605 Morewood Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Canadian Unitarian Council or to a charity of one’s own choosing.

Notes of condolence may be mailed to the Canadian Unitarian Council, and they will forward them to the family:

c/o Canadian Unitarian Council 
@ Centre for Social Innovation 
#302-192 Spadina Avenue 
Toronto ON M5T 2C2