Joseph "Patrick" Mahoney

Reading some of the excerpts brought back more memories, like David mentioning "grandpa's" connection with the young children and babies. I remember the first months with our first child "David", walking the floor to calm him down and the loud cries in the night. The first few times we visit Pat and Bernadette with the new baby, Nancy and her mom would spend most of the time taking care of David. Leaving Pat and I to fend for ourselves, Nancy and I both asked why does the baby cry so...

Our family had five children in seven years time: Dan, Maureen, Nancy, Diane and Larry. Raising five children would be a nightmare for most parents, but Dad was strict, and we toed the line. He was a military man, and very neat and organized. He ran the family like a military platoon. We had our regular chores, not too different from the way he was raised on the farm. Up early, not idle. On Saturdays, we'd awaken to loud-playing Polka music to rustle from our sleep.

We even had...

Thank you for letting us know about Uncle Pat's passing. He will be missed. Though we will not be able to attend the funeral, our hearts and our thoughts are there with you. Please accept our condolances and our best wishes for the coming days.

My grandfather was a man of few words. He didn't like small talk so it was difficult to start a conversation with him. In trying to start a conversation if you said "it's pretty hot this summer", he'd often reply with "yup" and a grin, like "that's all you've got for me?" (and I know he didn't like the heat). I think his quiteness made some people feel uncomfortable around him but it didn't make me feel uncomforable.

When I was a kid, grandpa and grandma were always very caring and...

When I was first married to Nancy Mahoney in 1966, we would often visit her parents Pat and Bernadette over the weekends. When we could get away from the hustle of San Francisco. He taught me not to take live so serious, by finding humor in most situations. I love Pat like the father I never had, he earned both my respect and admiration over the many years to come. Visting we would spends most nights playing pinnacle, His wife Bernadette was a master at the game and the girls would win...