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The guest of honor regrets that he cannot be with you tonight. He invites you to have a drink on him, raise a toast in his memory, and share a story.

Those of you that have known Patrick for a while have may heard him say that he wanted no big pompous funeral, no expensive monuments, just to be laid to rest in a plain pine box with a jug of whisky sitting on top to be passed around by his friends at the wake. Try explaining that to a funeral director... Oddly enough, or perhaps not, Patrick left very few specific instructions so I’m making this up as I go.

Pat was laid to rest in a wooden casket, the cover inlaid with the American Eagle and the corners marked alternately with the Celtic Cross and the emblem of the United States Marine Corps, two of the things he was most proud of, his Irish heritage and his patriotism. He carries along with him a small bottle of Poitín, which legend has it his father earned his imigration steamship fare by bootlegging, regretably though it's a bottle of the commercial stuff sold to tourists at the duty free shops and not his family's brew, but I'm certain he appreciates the spirt of the gesture. He now rests with his wife Ann of 53 years, in the South Florida National Cemetery in Lake Worth Florida, Section 39, number 899. Ann passed away a few months before him on July 6th 2009.

There are many points of view about what defines a man. Those who knew Patrick may agree with me that it’s not what a man has or where he came from, instead that the measure of a man is the company he keeps, and by those who choose his company. So we will gather at Five-ish Wednesday November 4th at the main bar at the Downtown Association in his memory, raise a glass and share the company of good friends.

At six-thirty or there about, we will have a quiet moment of remembrance to an ancient Irish air that the priest would not allow at his funeral mass, “The Coolin” aka “the fair one” (you can listen to it here) to be followed by the story telling. Several people have asked to speak, and I’d like to accommodate anyone who wishes to. So tell a story (try to keep it to a minute or three), and raise a toast to his memory.

Lets try and keep it more about laughter and good friends than tears. That’s the kind of memorial he wanted.

Contact Info
Location of the Wake

The Downtown Association
60 Pine Street
New York, NY 10005
Phone 212.422.1982
Fax 212.809.7632
Directions

Family

John P. Foley
Phone: 917-213-5855
Email: johnpfoley@yahoo.com
For the next few months mail can be sent to:
569 N Country Club Dr
Atlantis FL 33462

Maura Foley Polichano
Phone: 561-281-3788
534 Datura St #204
West Palm Beach FL 33401


Nicole Polichano
Email: npolicha@tulane.edu
Phone: 561-389-9367
502 Henry Clay Ave
New Orleans LA 70118