Patrick McNally

1956 - 2021

1956 - 2021
Born in 1956 to Kay and HP McNally Sr in Gettysburg Pa; Patrick was a man who created lifelong friendships. Upon the birth of his sister Kathleen, he met his first and best friend. They lived in many states before settling in CA. Patrick wrestled at University HS. He played rugby at UCI and CSULB, graduating with a BA in Geography. He wed Nola Lee Burns in 1993 and soon rejoiced in the birth of his son, Liam. Patrick was a keen observer with a penchant for accurate recollection. We couldn't get away with anything. His impeccable attention to detail suited him as a Survey Project Manager. He worked for the County of Orange and Huitt-Zollars for a combined 38 years. He valued his many years working with Rancho Mission Viejo and Ladera Ranch. His beautiful maps are still displayed on the walls of the OC Recorder's office. In addition to family and career, Patrick was devoted to rugby.
After graduation, Patrick played with Belmont Shore RFC before becoming an original OC Buck and captain. He picked up the whistle, refereeing with SCRRS until he joined the USA Rugby Referees National Panel, where he refereed at all national championships and the Rugby Super League. Off-season, Patrick regularly refereed the faster summer Sevens-a-side seasons until 2006, when he progressed from the field to managing the nascent USA Sevens Referee Program. He created a highly organized program to identify, train and manage talented athletes in a serious, open and friendly atmosphere. He established an esprit de corps in which competition and cooperation went hand in hand. With vision and tenacity, Patrick guided the Sevens Referee Program to meet the progressively challenging pace of the game.
From the outset he displayed his visionary approach by developing the first Sevens Referee Handbook that released its 3rd Edition in 2013. In recognition of his contribution to Sevens rugby in the USA and globally, Patrick was appointed as Performance Reviewer on the IRB Men's Sevens World Series and NACRA Sevens Paddy in 2013 in preparation for the 2016 Olympics. During his tenure in Sevens, Patrick managed all the National Sevens Championships, including the high-profile USA Sevens College Rugby Championships. He has been the Referee Liaison Officer for each USA IRB Sevens event from 2007 until his rugby retirement in 2017.
He published scores of articles on rugby refereeing in American Rugby News and UR7s.com websites and contributed to the IRB Sevens Referee Course and Workbook.
Patrick fought long and hard before succumbing to prostate cancer on March 8, 2021. He is survived by his wife Nola, son Liam (Jessica), Mother Kay, sister Kathy (Pat), many friends, including the Signal Hill CrossFit team, and the cats: Trixie Trill Norton and Levon.
Committed to helping the US advance in the rugby world, Patrick elevated the level of play by developing elite referees. We request donations for the Paddy Mac Foundation at https://gofund.me/bdf3077a. The memorial will be October 2,2021.