Patricia McAlvanah

Patricia McAlvanah, age 83, passed away on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, in her home in Marietta, GA. Patricia - known as “Pat” - was born on September 3, 1939 in Manhattan to the late James Burns of New York and the late Elizabeth Reid of County Sligo, Ireland. After her mother died in 1944, her father remarried the late Marie Tanguay of Michigan. She lived all over New York City, from the Irish-American neighborhood of Sunnyside in Queens to Staten Island and the Bronx. Her voracious reading habits started as a young girl reading Nancy Drew mystery stories. She graduated from Bayside High School in Queens in 1956. Pat worked and raised her four children in Dix Hills, Long Island with both an easygoing and plucky manner. They took regular trips to the library, calling it their second home, and there was never a Sunday without Entenmann's Coffee Cake on the kitchen table. She then lived in Maryland and worked as a secretary for a cardiologist for numerous years before she retired in Marietta, Georgia. She was a devout Catholic and life-long student of God. Throughout her life she regularly attended mass, read religious books and volunteered at Catholic Charities helping families in need. She also loved her Irish heritage and reveled in learning more about her relatives and ancestors. She traveled to Ireland in 1998 and 2006, amusingly telling the citizens that passed her on the Ha'penny Bridge that she was Irish too. She loved nothing more than an Irish blessing, a green shamrock and a glass of Baileys. An adored mother, grandmother and friend, Pat touched so many with her sweet and lively spirit. She was known for her hearty laugh, quick wit and tight hugs. She was a lifelong plant-enthusiast, avid reader and knitter of countless sweaters and scarves for various family members. She is survived by her children; Corinne and her husband John Nicolai; Edward McAlvanah; Peter and his wife Tracy McAlvanah; Lynne McAlvanah; grandchildren Kristen, Matthew and his wife Jillian, Gregory, Kathryn, Jack and Ella; her niece Dana Hull and her nephew Jared Hull; as well as her extended family and numerous friends. A memorial service celebrating her life will be held on Tuesday, November 15 at 11am at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Marietta, GA. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations in Pat's name be made to Cobbs County Public Library, 266 Roswell Street, Marietta, GA 30060 or Catholic Charities USA, 2050 Ballenger Avenue, Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Patricia McAlvanah

September 3, 1939 - November 2, 2022