Patrick Gracias

Patrick Gracias, brother of Raymond (deceased), Norman (deceased), Toefista (deceased) and Sr. Jacinto, passed away in Mississauga.

PATRICK GRACIAS…… “Man Of Mystery” ( The Shadows, 1963 )

By Raymond de Mello

Always an enigma, but warm and kind to a fault, the caption encapsulates Patrick’s reclusive nature and his unqualified love of the music of the British Beat group, “The Shadows.”

His fondness for guitar music, most notably, of “The Shadows,” goes back to our days at the Dr. Ribeiro Goan School. He and his always very loyal friend Walter Colacco, would always be together, earnestly discussing their latest attempts at crafting a “solid,” on the lines of Hank Marvin’s (lead guitarist of “The Shadows”) red “Fender” guitar! Their replicas were mostly accurate and awe inspiring, as were their joint knowledge of all things “Shadows!”. A proficient guitarist in his own right, I had the good fortune many years ago to join Patrick in his stirring rendition of “The Shadows” version of “Guitar Boogie!”. A memorable experience!

Patrick was a brilliant Electrical Engineer who graduated through University College, Nairobi, Kenya, in or around 1971. He emigrated to Canada in the the mid seventies and enjoyed a promising career with “Exide Batteries.” He eventually opted to be self employed, and his deep analytical thinking and extensive knowledge of electronics placed him in good stead to successfully pursue this new endeavour for many years.

I recall fondly one day receiving a call from a breathless Patrick! He excitedly told me about how he had repaired a vintage “Watkins Copycat” tape echo, using parts from a Bell Canada telephone, and invited me over to his residence on Queen Frederika Dr. in Mississauga, to view and listen to the capabilities of the finished product. True to his engineering genius, the echo unit produced an absolutely superb sound....indeed it came very close to The Shadows sound and tone!

The Dr. Ribeiro Goan School has produced many iconic professionals, and Patrick most certainly is one of them. His warmth and humility combined with his outstanding technical expertise to make him uniquely Patrick!

Whereas we mourn his loss, we also celebrate the privilege to have had such a decent and wonderful human being in our orbit. May his soul rest in peace.