Patrick William McSweeney of Northvale, NJ and Chatham, MA, 84, passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 4, 2022 surrounded by his loving family. He left us as he lived, with quiet grace and dignity. Patrick was born in Kilkee (Co. Clare, Ireland) on January 31, 1938, the second son of Kathleen (nee Marrinan) and William McSweeney. His childhood in Kingsbridge, the Bronx, was a happy one, shared with siblings Elizabeth, John and Kathleen. Many an afternoon was spent with friends playing handball in the local park, stickball on the street with a broom handle cribbed from someone’s unsuspecting mother, and cards on a rainy day. Camping with friends in Mahopac was another great adventure. The crowd of roughly ten neighborhood chums and brother Johnny would set off across 230th Street to Marble Hill to catch the train up to Mahopac. Picture them if you will: a group of energetic young men carrying bamboo sticks with rags tied on the end containing all the bare necessities slung over their shoulders. Simpler times.
While attending Manhattan Prep, he met the love of his life, the beautiful and spirited Eileen Lyons. Thus began a loving relationship that culminated in 61 years of devoted marriage, three children and eight grandchildren.
One of Patrick’s first jobs involved painting flagpoles on the tops of schools, buildings, and skyscrapers throughout New York City. When the opportunity emerged to join the Port Authority as a young man, his savvy mother encouraged him to take the job for the excellent benefits despite the pay cut. His career at the Port Authority began walking the high steel of the George Washington Bridge, painting the towers, barrels and cables, and building lifelong friendships among the Bridge Gang. His PA career spanned many decades and facilities, overseeing jobs including the new terminal at Newark Airport, the Bayonne Bridge container ship bridge collisions, and the emergency construction response to the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. Patrick loved his career at the Port Authority and treasured the great camaraderie among the PA crew. The men regularly socialized outside of work and helped renovate one another’s homes, inside and out. Two of their projects that remain dearest to the McSweeney children were the fireplace and in-ground pool. Patrick’s son Kevin followed him into the Port Authority and was regularly regaled by men eager to share how Patrick had helped mentor, guide and help them along their way. After retiring from the Port Authority as a Resident Engineer, Patrick worked an additional 10 years as a consultant for Tishman Inc., commuting daily into Manhattan.
Patrick possessed an uncommon work ethic, drive and generosity of spirit that permeated his life. He worked side jobs weekends and weeknights to support his family, educate his children and eventually build a family vacation home in Cape Cod. He valued education, encouraging anyone he could to pursue academic excellence. A common exchange: Pop, I got a 95. What happened to the other 5 points? Pop, I got a 100. What, no extra credit? It was a relief, we suppose, that he christened his boat “The A Team,” and not “The A+ Team.” College roommates who hadn’t fared well on a test were known to avoid answering the phone because he asked everyone about their grades and no one wanted to disappoint him. The truth was, though, that he was never really disappointed in anyone; he just loved to see people strive and succeed and sought to encourage anyone he could. He often remarked on people who had helped him along the way, yet never mentioned all the people he helped. He simply embodied his beliefs.
After retiring from his encore career at Tishman, Patrick and Eileen split their time between New Jersey and Massachusetts, regularly joined by their children and their families. Summertime at the Cape was all about the children, from clamming to fishing to boating to the 4th of July parade, with most evenings ending with a walk on the beach and Schoolhouse Ice Cream. He covered the garage walls with puzzles completed by the grandchildren at various ages that he glued, framed and hung. There was always one in progress on the living room table. A proficient chess player, he taught all the grandchildren to play and games were played daily at the Cape Cod chess table. Invariably, if a grandchild made a good move, one would hear “veeeeery interesting.” He had a strict rule: loser cleaned up. And he certainly did enjoy sitting back to watch the clean up.
Patrick loved celebrating his birthday month, a good chocolate bar, a good ice cream cone, a good game of golf, a nice song on the piano, his Irish music, and all dogs. He could tie any knot and fix any problem with some duct tape or a ladder. A gifted athlete, he once ran the Long Island Marathon and qualified for Boston. He shared his honest opinion when asked, often saying “You’re not wrong, but you’re not right either.”
Most importantly, he lived his faith. We will miss him so and look forward to the day when we will see him again.
Beloved husband of Eileen (nee Lyons). Cherished father of Kevin McSweeney and wife Sherry, Sue-Ellen Ubl and husband Jeffrey, and Allison Mullaney and husband Matthew. Adored grandfather of Ellen, Ryan, Caitlin and fiancé Paul, Sarah, Madeline, Matthew, Sebastian, Gabriela, and Ashley. Dearest brother of Elizabeth (May) O’Flynn and late husband Denis, the late John McSweeney and wife Gloria, and Kathleen O’Neill and husband William. Treasured uncle of many nieces and nephews. Dearest friend.
Visiting hours are Thursday, December 8, 2022 from 2-8 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Avenue, Northvale. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 10 AM at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart RC Church, Tappan, NY with interment to follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Valhalla, NY.
The mass can be viewed via livestream through the church website:
https://stjohnnewman.flocknote.com/note/19331901
Those who wish may make a donation in Patrick’s memory to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, www.mskcc.org.
