Patrick Gerald Thibodeau was born in Thunder Bay Ontario the son of Adrian and Annette (Menard) Thibodeau he had four brothers and three sisters. When Pat was six years old the family moved to a small farm on the outskirts of Thunder Bay where he learned to milk their few cows and gather eggs. The family did not have a lot of money and after high school Pat entered Community College but was forced to leave due to lack of funds. He then worked in several jobs throughout the Canada eventually landing in Ottawa.

Pat married Michelle Franklin a French Canadian girl born in St Jean Quebec in 1982 in Thunder Bay Ontario. Pat and Michelle rode the school bus together in high school and worked part time in local restaurants their friendship turned to love. Pat was working in Calgary when their first child Sean was born. Jacqueline, their second child was born in Winnipeg as Pat was working in Dryden Ontario at the time. The family moved to Ottawa where Pat was employed in the restaurant business and taking electronics course at Algonquin College when he applied for the Nepean Fire Department and was accepted.
His fire fighting career started on July 30, 1990. Pat was very excited to be a fire fighter and the security it provided for him and his family. Two years after starting work with Nepean Fire Department the family had another addition, daughter Nichole who was born in 1992. Pat was very active with his family and loved to camp, fish and travel with his family.
Pat Thibodeau loved his work in the fire service and was always anxious to get to the station. He loved the physical aspect of the work and the camaraderie with his fellow fire fighters. He was very health conscious and was the one who always wore his protective equipment and breathing apparatus and cleaned his bunker gear regularly. He was very aware of the consequences of chemical exposure and protected himself as best he could.
Pat was super active person with a great sense of humour and was always working either with the fire service, doing part time jobs or working out on his fitness. Pat was active in team sports at school and was a member of a singing group back in those years. He was very active training as a runner, road biking, downhill and cross country skier. He ran a half marathon and always liked to recount his bike ride of a lifetime around the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island with a group of fellow Ottawa Fire Fighters in 2001.

Pat was very handy and learned through doing. He took on the awesome job of building his own home and although he did not quite complete it he did get it all done but the landscaping which his son Sean completed. This beautiful home was located on the Canadian Golf Course in Ottawa.