Patrick C. "Pat" Flood

HARVARD -- Patrick "Pat" Columbanus Flood, 76, a resident of Harvard, died yesterday, April 14, at Rivercrest Long-Term Care Facility in Concord.

He was born in Kells, County Meath, Ireland, son of the late Thomas and Margaret (Olohan) Flood.

Mr. Flood trained as an accountant and he first lived and worked in banking in Canada before settling in Maynard. In 1955, he continued in banking in Waltham, and then from 1982-1994, he was the credit manager for Thomas Taylor & Sons, in Hudson, Mass.

In December 1981, he and his 90-year-old mother came to Saint Benedict Abbey in Harvard, planning to stay for two weeks. His mother died there a year later and he extended his visit another 24 years. He was a daily communicant and for many of those years, he was the voice of Saint Benedict Abbey, working as the porter, greeting visitors who came to the door or called on the telephone to the Abbey. He was also in many ways the face of the Abbey, as the shopper.

According to family members, his engaging manner and Irish humor made him unforgettable. In fact, he remained an Irish citizen his whole life. At the Abbey and elsewhere, his storytelling was legendary and some of the stories may even have been true, family members said.

He expanded his already wide circle of friends spending six weeks in the Scottish Highlands in 2002, and eight weeks traveling the entire length of New Zealand just last year.

He leaves a sister-in-law, Ginnie Flood; a nephew and his wife, John and Lilly Flood; a niece and her husband, Valerie and William Tripp; his nieces, Dorothy Granat and Joy Flood; a nephew, Aidan Flood of London; four grandnieces and grandnephews.

He also leaves the monks of Saint Benedict Abbey in Harvard, where he lived and entertained for the last 25 years.

He was also the brother of the late Joseph and Michael.