Final farewell to Pat Allen OAM who left with a single rose, her favourite pearls and odd shoes

Mrs Allen passed away suddenly on August 24 at her Steam Street, Maitland home.

The hundreds of mourners at her funeral Mass on Thursday heard how it was her wish to be buried with her favourite pearls and a single rose.

"Symbols of her," said son David who delivered the eulogy.

"Many people have commented that she was always beautifully dressed - on this we had a little fun," he said.

"While mum leaves us today in the dress she wore to Government House when she received her OAM, we have given her odd shoes," he said.

"Many years ago we had a family baptism and a surprise wedding in this church (Sacred Heart, Campbells Hill). Mum was busy as usual running around organising everyone instead of getting herself ready.

"At some stage she was wearing one black and one blue shoe seeking options of which pair to wear.

"She left this church that day wearing odd shoes and so she does again today," David said.

Mrs Allen worked tirelessly for charities, schools, the church and business institutions across the city - in fact for more than 50 years.

She was not only honoured with an Order of Australia Medal in 2014 but also with the title of Maitland Citizen of the Year in 1999 and a Centenary of Federation Medal in 2000.

Her final honour came on Thursday.

The crowd came from all walks of life to say their farewells. Business operators, bikies, school children and the clergy. The young, the old and the infirmed, all united in grief - testimony to Mrs Allen who toiled for so many.

She touched so many lives but none more so than her family - husband David and their five children, their grandchildren and great grandchildren.

And in a final and fitting mark of respect to their mum, daughters Sharon, Pamela, Elizabeth and Janet all chose to wear pearls.

"On the 24^th of August 2019 the world changed," David said.

"Mum's faith has taken her to the next life.

"Good bye and God bless."