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Sir Patrick Duffy, the longest-lived former Member of Parliament, has passed away at the age of 105 after a brief illness. A son of a miner from Doncaster, Sir Patrick began his political career in 1950 and represented Sheffield Attercliffe as a Labour MP from 1970 until his retirement in 1992. He died on 2 January at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, with a family friend remarking that people of all generations will miss his warmth and wit.
Born in Wigan in 1920, Sir Patrick’s family later relocated to Doncaster due to his father James’s work in the South Yorkshire coalfields. He often recounted that some of his earliest recollections were of the 1926 mining strikes, and he described himself as a “political animal” from the tender age of five. During World War Two, he served in the Fleet Air Arm and survived a near-fatal crash at Scapa Flow. Despite being given last rites twice, he recovered and returned to flying. The accident left him with severe facial injuries, which led to experimental plastic surgery.
Following the war, Sir Patrick pursued higher education, studying at the London School of Economics before completing a doctorate at Columbia University in New York. He then became an economics lecturer at Leeds University. His parliamentary ambitions saw him stand in the 1950 Tiverton election before winning a by-election for Colne Valley in 1963. During the late 1970s, he served as a defence minister in James Callaghan’s Labour government and was president of the NATO Assembly in the 1980s, engaging with global leaders such as Pope John Paul II during the closing years of the Cold War. Later in life, he remained a prominent figure in academia, specializing in naval warfare. His dedication to his faith earned him a papal knighthood in 2017, complementing the knighthood he received from Queen Elizabeth II in 1991.
After retiring from politics, Sir Patrick undertook numerous pilgrimages, including the famed Camino de Santiago, a 35-day journey covering about 15.5 miles each day, which he completed annually for six years. Kevin Meagher, who assisted with his second book, described Sir Patrick as a “living historical jukebox,” recalling his remarkable memory of events such as hearing Oswald Mosley speak in Wigan in 1930. At the age of 103, Sir Patrick published his second book, From Wigan to Westminster: Hot Wars, Cold Wars and the Carrier Strike Groups, becoming the world’s second-oldest author. Tributes poured in from across Doncaster, including from MP Sally Jameson, who expressed deep sorrow at his passing, praising his beloved status in the community. Sir Patrick spent his final years in Doncaster with his three dogs and is survived by his sister Patricia
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