The Story of Pat Jones and Cherish Memory Bears

Hello, my name is Pat Jones, and together with my daughter, Karen, we created Cherish Memory Bears in memory of her fiancé Steve, who she sadly lost to blood cancer in 2013. For those of you that have lost a loved one, you will know how difficult it is to part with their clothes. Steve lived in his hoodies, and Karen couldn’t bear (excuse the pun) to part with them, so rather than have them sit in the wardrobe, Karen wanted something personal made for her and the children. And so the idea evolved.

As I have been a keen dressmaker for many years, Karen knew from first-hand experience how creative I could be, and said that she will never forget some of the ‘creations’ I made for her and her sister to wear when they were younger. Karen wanted something personal that signified Steve’s love of animals and his warm and caring personality. So in 2014,Karen asked if I could make memory bears for her and the grandsons, and so the first three Cherish Memory Bears were born made out of Steve’s hoodies, each of which held special memories to us all.

Seeing how dear and treasured these bears were to Karen and my grandsons made me want to help others who had lost loved ones have a special keepsake to love and cherish forever too. As Steve had been a keen supporter of Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, Karen and I agreed that we would set up Cherish Memory Bears, with all profits going to the charity to help towards funding the vital research needed to find a cure for this awful disease. If we can stop one person enduring the suffering and pain that Steve went through, then the countless hours of sewing and trying to sew my finger will be more than worth it.

Since those very first bears I have been researching and experimenting with countless patterns so that I can hopefully accommodate any request received. I now have a whole menagerie of bears, animals, and keepsakes that are taking over my house.