Fr. Patrick Tobin – 2013 Grand Marshal
Father Pat has served as a minister for over 57 years. During his ministry, 54 years have been with Catholic Charities in Kansas City, Missouri. He served six years on the advisory board of International Catholic Relief Services in Baltimore, Maryland. He was recently honored by the Cuban Association of Kansas and Missouri for resettling 120 Cuban families in Kansas City, Missouri, in the early 60s.
Over a 20 year period Fr. Pat took more than 200 boys to Father Flanagan’s Boy’s Town in Nebraska and worked with their families in Kansas City. Father Tobin gave over 100 United Way talks each year for 16 years. He helped found the Harvesters Food Bank in Kansas City, Missouri, and was a board member for 34 years. He was a board member of the National Second Harvest for three years. He spent eight years as Chaplain at a State Prison and was named the 1992 Volunteer of the Year by the Missouri Department of Corrections. Fr. Pat is also a volunteer member of Christmas In October, which repairs 450 houses each year for the past 20 years and now has 7,500 volunteers.
Fr. Pat has served as family life speaker and seminar director for the U.S. Air Force in six countries. He has conducted spiritual conferences for Mother Teresa’s Sisters, the Missionaries of Charity, for 37 years in 43 countries. In the program “Papal Volunteer Service,” Fr. Pat was the Assistant Director of training for 31 volunteers preparing for two-year social service work in South America. He also served as a Junior/Senior High School/College retreat director. The theme throughout his 50 year ministry is “Comfort the Disturbed and Disturb the Comfortable.”
Past Grand Marshals:
2012
Kathy Quinn
2011
Micheal Mahoney
2010
Ian Byrne
2009
Louis “Scooter” Martin – Kansas City Fire Department
David Magruder – Kansas City Police Department
2008
Dan O’Mara
2007
Danny O’Neill
2006
Jody Watson
2005
Kyle Kelly
2004
Peggy Sheehan
2003
Fr. James Shea, Eddie Delahunt, Pat Hughes
2002
Margie Browne
2001
Tommy Wyrsch
2000
Tom and Helen Mahurin
1999
Pat O’Connell
1998
Past Kansas City St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee Co-Chairs:
Fred Wyrsch, Denny Lowe, Jim Glynn, Ned O’Connor, Brian O’Malley, Pat O’Neill, Jr., Pete McCluskey, Jr., Kathy Maguire, T. J. Teevan, Molly Corkill, Michael Mahoney, Dan Haake, Kerry Browne, Patti Aylward Kalb
1997
Kathy Maguire
1996
John J. Sullivan, Jr.
1995
Ben Teevan
1994
Peter J. McCluskey, Sr.
1993
Pat O’Neill, Sr.
1992
Larry Moore
1991
Philip P. Chaney
1990
P. J. Cullinan
1989
Mike Murphy – Parade Co-founder
Honorary Marshals: Irish Building America
Jack Broderick – Irish in Labor
Jack Reardon – Irish in Government
Gerald Halloran – Irish in Fire Department
John O’Sullivan – Irish in Police
Randal Kelly – Irish in Business
1988
Bob Wormington
1987
Jack Reardon
1986
Fred Wyrsch, Jr. Past Parade Chairman
1985
The Irish Worker:
William Cahill – Police Department
Dr. J. F. O’Malley – Medicine
Sen. Harry Wiggins – Politics
Thomas Condon – Sports
Mary Walsh – Post Office
1984
Brother Mathias Barrett – Good Shepherd Manor
1983
Chief Clarence Kelly – Former Director of the FBI
1982
Rt. Rev Msgr. Arthur Tighe – Spirital Mentor
1981
Mrs. Lillian Hogarty – Wife of Parade founder and Tome Shine of the AOH
1979
Paudi O’Connor – Lord Mayor of Killarney
First Parade
Mike Murphy, Dan Hogarty, Sr. and Pat O’Neill, Sr.