- Date Of Birth: July 11, 1923
- Date Of Death: December 30, 2020
- State: Maryland
Beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and decorated World War II Army veteran, Patrick Joseph Rhatigan, of Millersville, Maryland, passed away peacefully on December 30, 2020, at age 97. He was born July 11, 1923, in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Irish immigrants, Andrew and Katherine Rhatigan. Patrick was the first of their children to be born in America.
He often spoke fondly of his childhood in New York, growing up with his brothers and sisters. He shared countless stories of their many adventures back in Brooklyn in the good old days.
Patrick forged his mother’s signature and enlisted in the Army at 17 to serve his country during World War ll. His first station was in Dayton, Ohio, where he met a gorgeous girl from Kentucky who became his great love and lifelong companion. Pat and Rose were married on July 19, 1943.
He was sent overseas for the Pacific campaign and participated in the Invasion of Okinawa on April 1, 1945, which, as he often recalled, was also Easter Sunday. Like so many of his generation, he was very modest about his wartime achievements and did not like to talk about the medals he earned. He was very proud to have served his country and maintained a love of the military.
After the war, Pat and Rose and their new baby daughter Patricia settled in Maryland. They later added daughters Lynne and Mary to complete their family.
For many years Patrick and Rose owned and operated “Pat’s Grocery” on Church Street in Brooklyn Park. They enjoyed watching generations of local kids and their families come in and out of their door.
Patrick was a lifelong baseball and football fan. He said two of the worst days of his life were when the Dodgers left Brooklyn and when the Colts left Baltimore. Eventually, the Orioles and the Ravens won his heart, and he became an avid fan of both teams.
Patrick is survived by his devoted wife of 77 years, Rose J. Rhatigan, and his three loving daughters, Patricia Spencer (John), Lynne Miller (Cassius), and Mary Livengood (Richard). He was the proud grandfather of Gregory Spencer (Erica), Keith Spencer (Heather), Hank Turowski, III (Christine), Patrick Turowski, Macy Livengood, and great-grandfather to Kaelyn Girard, Tiffany Spencer, Morgan Spencer, and Declan Spencer. Patrick is also survived by his brother Francis Rhatigan (Barbara) and sister Catherine Sluyk (Jim) and many, much-loved nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, Patrick was preceded in death by brothers, Patrick, Thomas, and Gerry Rhatigan, and his sister Anne Maitland.
