After a career in travel and property, Patricia C Byron was hit by a tsunami of events that altered the course of her life.

 

She had already lost her best friend to breast cancer and knew the difficulties that she had had to face in tidying up the more personal issues surrounding the estate. When she was asked to be executrix of a second friend’s Will, she had no choice but to think quickly. Her friend was terminally ill and lived alone so Patricia needed vital answers to difficult questions.

 

In 2006, just a few months before her friend sadly passed away, Patricia wrote the bones of Last Orders to assist them both. It was a pivotal moment but when her mother died, just 12 months later, she learnt even more about the challenges which end of life issues bring.

 

Arranging funerals, tidying up estates and emptying houses, all gave her much cause and time for deep contemplation. In her grief, she reflected on how death could be handled in a way that assisted the bereaved as well as enhanced how the deceased would be remembered.

 

In 2010 Patricia chose to publish the book she had written for her friend without any agenda other than to tread where few had ventured. Without any knowledge of whether such a book would be accepted, she settled on a sizeable print run considering she was an unknown author on an impossible mission writing about a taboo subject. 

 

When she was asked to go on BBC R4's Woman's Hour, the last thing Patricia expected was a flood of orders... but that is what she got: letters, emails and telephone calls from all over the country from people thanking her for writing the book. Last Orders sold out and went to reprint.

 

It was then reviewed in the STEP JOURNAL and the LAW SOCIETY GAZETTE and, in doing so, was brought to the attention of lawyers. For professionals to endorse its usefulness has proven to be invaluable for Patricia and sustains her through very challenging times as she continues to attempt to raise awareness of the importance of writing a Letter of Wishes to accompany a Will.

 

Happily, there are forward-thinking solicitors who agree, and there are now top tier law firms within the UK Legal 500 using the book for their Will making clients, along with financial advisors, tax advisors and estate planners.

 

She passionately believes there is a need for unbiased commentary on Will-making in the UK today so her latest publication, The Good Will Guide, is a comprehensive consumer guide to assist the public find their way through today's Will-making maze without the use of jargon or scaremongering. The Second Edition of Last Orders was released in the summer of 2019.

 

Patricia now also runs a publishing house assisting authors to publish their work under STELLAR BOOKS brand name. She has written articles for the Manchester Evening News, Mature Times, the STEP Journal, Berkshire Life, Kent Life and many more. Drawing her on her experiences, she presents talks on the importance of leaving a good legacy. To read about her talks, click here.

 

She is a member of the Dying Matters Coalition and lives in Bowdon, Cheshire.