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Patricia Rolston passed away on March 11.

Photo by Andrew Hung

Family remembers Rolston's passion for music

By Andrew Hung

Published 4:37 PDT, Fri April 5, 2019

Even in the final days of her life, 89-year-old Patricia Rolston continued to teach piano for 16 hours a week.

The longtime piano teacher passed away on March 11 after suffering from a stroke on March 2, leaving behind a loving family and a large community of students and colleagues.

“What made her unique was her untiring passion for teaching,” said her son Darcy Hepner, who is a saxophonist.

“The fact that she could sit for five to six hours per day in her 80s, and not drop her concentration for a second when someone was playing was so inspiring,” he said. “Nobody got short-changed by her concentration. She was full-on all the time.”

Rolston retired from her role as the principal of the Richmond Music School in July 2018, after directing the school for nearly three decades.

Many of her initiatives have become central programs at the institution, including the Concerto Concert, Scholarship Competition, and weekly concerts at the Gilmore Gardens Retirement Residence.

“Her brain was constantly moving,” said Sharon Kirk, her cousin and a piano teacher at the school.

“She was always thinking about how she could make something happen.”

Hepner said that his mother continued to study pedagogical books in the past year.

“She was still reviewing and looking at (new) ways to teach piano.”

Rolston was born in Vancouver in 1929, and began performing when she was seven years old.

Soon, the young pianist found herself playing at venues like the Hotel Vancouver.

“We have Irish roots, and I think this love of music stems from these Irish roots,” said Kirk.

Rolston discovered her passion for teaching during those teenage years, and began taking her first students at age 14, one of whom was Kirk herself.The promising pianist made her recital debut at Wigmore Hall in London in 1958, and would go on to perform across North America and Europe.

In 1977, Rolston founded the music department at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario and became the program’s chairwoman while continuing her piano teaching.

“She could wear two hats,” said Hepner, who is a faculty member at Mohawk College.

In her studio, Rolston had a systematic and organized approach in guiding her students, but also fostered an environment of creativity and imagination.

“She had the gift of the gab, and she could always give you ideas,” said Kirk.

“She had stories about every piece…that you could relate to.”

Rolston retired from Mohawk College in 1989, and she returned to Vancouver, settling in Richmond.

At first, directing another music school didn’t cross her mind.

But when a job opening for a principal at the Richmond Music School arose, Rolston’s passion for music teaching resurfaced.

“I think the love of music led her to different areas, and that (the job) happened to be available,” said Kirk.

Rolston was a creative principal, Hepner says, and she had a knack for making programs that were both innovative and accessible.

But even through all the ideas and changes, Rolston never forgot her ultimate goal.

“The vast majority of them have become, I hope, music lovers, and will go to concerts and make music a part of their lives forever,” Rolston said in an interview with The Richmond Sentinel last summer.

“If that happens, then I have accomplished my goal.”

The Richmond Music School and Rolston’s family are planning a concert in remembrance of the influential teacher, which is scheduled for sometime in May.