Michael J. "Mickey" Patrick

Mickey will be missed, not only at the flea maket, but for the years of wonderful music he created for so many...Mickey was indeed a treasure to all who had the honor to hear his music and experience his talent!
Jody Gulish/Slippery Rock

Mickey the flea market will never be the same again.... i can remember telling my wife im going to the flea market for a couple min's then coming back home 6 hours later...we had some long talks at the clearview flea market I will never have another friend like you and im really gonna miss you buddy! (im gonna miss fixing you junk!! lol)

We had Mickey play his accordion at our rural outdoor wedding nearly 20 years ago as our chosen location had no electricity. Though it was mid-June, we were dealt a miserably cold, windy and damp day. We joked with Mickey about him having to wear gloves. Though he of course didn't, I did see him getting warmed up by the bonfire a couple times - a popular spot! He took the weather in stride, expertly hitting every note, and every cue, strolling through the crowd before and after the ceremony playing a big part in not only saving the day, but making it special. We received many a compliment about him that day and we will never forget him.

Mickey has been a primary entertainer at Spotlight 88 Flea Market for the last 14 years. We will all miss him immensely. His music was relaxing and uplifting to listen to, as he is a musical genious, and one of our all time greats. He had thousands of songs in his head, and never had to read music. He loved to entertain, as he was never greedy for the money, always telling me to just pay what I can afford. Nobody else does that. At the end of the day, he was never in a hurry to leave, and would often help us close up. He enjoyed hanging out talking to the vendors. He also recently played Steeler polkas at my store in Zelie, something else we will miss. I think I first met him years ago at Clear View, where he had a nice stand. Anyway, I personally will miss him, as will everyone at Spotlight 88 when they get the news. He often talked highly about his family. His family's greif is shared by many.

I first met Mickey at the Sunnyview Nursing Home, after my wife Mary's arrival at the home over two years ago. Mickey and I got along as if we knew each other forever. That's the kind of personable man he was! He knew of Mary and I were of Hungarian extraction, Mickey would always announce that he wanted to play a couple of Hungarian songs for Mary and I before he closed. He will be surely missed by everyone whose ever heard him,especially folks at Sunnyview. Mickey's special friend, Joe Sabo.(My wife Mary just passed away October the 15th)

Joe-

Colin & I are so sorry to hear about the loss of your father. We send our thoughts and prayers to your entire family.

We knew Mickey from the Clearview Mart Flea Market, he seldom bought anything from the restaurant when we had it, but he did come by and pass the time of day, quite often. I am sure that we will remember him fondly. His memories will someday soon make you smile.

The rocking chair where Mickey sat and taught our son Stephen how to play accordion was empty last night. He sat there almost once every week for the last four years teaching our son how to play the instrument that he loved, the instrument that is played so close to the heart. Our son had asked for an accordion one day when he was ten and we surprised him with a nice used youth model that Christmas. After teaching himself to play for 18 months, we decided to search for a teacher. Mickey answered our newspaper ad and quickly persuaded us that he was the teacher we were looking for. Wow, could Mickey play, and what dedicated teaching he did. He taught Stephen not just how to play music, but how to entertain and connect with an audience. He embraced the music of each ethnic group and shared it. In our home he would play little concerts for us each Christmas and at other times when his soul would sing out through his agile mind and nimble fingers. After each song he would smile and laugh amazed at how each song had transported him and us to someplace we had never quite been to before. We saw people enjoy his playing on many stages: at a wedding, a folk festival, an onion festival, a health clinic and a flee market. His playing was always inspired, warm and delightful. Over the years Mickey became like a brother to my wife and me, and an uncle to our son. He shared stories of his own life, work and family, his political thoughts, his health interests and his Subarus. We’ve owned a few too. It is such a shock to see him disappear so suddenly. We missed him last night and will miss him on many Mondays yet to come. Thanks Mickey for becoming a part of our family. Thanks for keeping the accordion alive and energizing some musical styles that have shifted outside the popular consciousness. Thanks for recognizing the beauty and genius of great musical performance and composition. Thanks for challenging our mainstream assumptions about our society’s health and values. Thanks for your dedication, joy and integrity. Thanks for inspiring and teaching Stephen all that you did.