More detail on this person: Colonel (US Army,
Retired) Francis Patrick McDermott -- "Pat" to his
friends and "Ahpa" to his ten grandchildren and
two great-grandchildren -- lived a courageous,
generous, and accomplished life. He was born
during the Great Depression into a strong
Irish-Catholic family, the fifth of six children.
He grew up with his parents Louise and Thomas
and four sisters (Delores, Colleen, Maurice and
Patricia) and brother (Joseph) on a farm just
outside of Jamaica, Iowa. He graduated from
Jamaica High School in 1950 and enrolled at
Simpson College on a baseball scholarship. After
one semester, he left school and Iowa to enlist in
the U.S. Air Force. As an enlisted airman, he
guarded B-29's in California, was recognized for
his innate intelligence and leadership potential,
and was encouraged to become an officer. In
California living near his sister Delores, he
studied with her help on weekends and earned an
opportunity to attend Officer Candidate School at
Fort Benning, GA. He was commissioned as an
officer in the U.S. Army and suddenly found
himself a 19-year-old Second Lieutenant leading
troops in combat in Korea. Pat was a 30-year
distinguished and decorated veteran serving combat
tours in both Korea and Vietnam as an Infantry
Officer, Army Aviator and Aviation Battalion
Commander. During his career he was stationed at
bases throughout the US and had assignments in
Lebanon and Germany.
While attending the Army's Flight School at Fort
Rucker, AL, he met, fell in love, and married the
beautiful and charming Harriett Ann Woodham on
June 16, 1955, in Dothan, AL. Together Pat and
Harriett shared the peripatetic life of an Army
officer. Pat attributed much of his success in the
Army to Harriett who was the quintessential army
wife, a lovely hostess and supportive spouse. As
Pat built a successful career with the help of his
wife, their family increased as Pat 's rank rose
and as the family was station first in Maryland
where Mary Colleen (1956) was born, then to
Germany where Patrick Kevin was born (1959),
returning to Alabama for the birth of John Francis
(1963), and after an assignment in Kansas, back to
Alabama for the birth of Anne Cecilia (1970).
Pat's Army career culminated in his assignment as
Professor of Military Science (Army ROTC) at
Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN
and later as Regional Director of ROTC programs
throughout the southeastern United States at Ft.
Riley, KS. The success he had building the
program at APSU led the Army's Chief of Staff to
call the ROTC program at Peay, "The success
story of the nation."
As Pat was building a career and family, he also
completed his college and graduate education. He
received a Bachelor's Degree in History from the
University of Maryland, and a Master's Degree in
Education from Troy State University. Following
his retirement after 30-years in the army, he
earned a Ph.D. in Family Economics from Kansas
State University. His 1983 doctoral dissertation,
"The 5 Things that Keep Individuals from Financial
Independence" was groundbreaking in its treatment
of whole life insurance.
Pat's commitment to lifelong learning and
education was communicated tangibly to his family.
He encouraged and financially assisted his four
children and ten grandchildren to attend and
complete college. So far, Pat's determination has
been realized as all of his progeny have or are on
their way to fulfilling this dream.
Once retired from the Army and a Ph.D. in hand,
Pat continued to find ways to keep himself busy.
He reinvented himself as an investor and builder
in Clarksville, TN. In his work as as independent
Financial Planner, he helped people find smart
ways to invest their financial resources. Forever
resourceful, Pat discovered the potential in real
estate development. Not only did he discover a
smart way to invest time and money, he developed
a passion for building and improving homes. On a
few acres of uncultivated forest surrounded by a
pastoral setting in Sango, TN, Pat carved out the
Ridgewood subdivision, naming many of the streets
and lanes after his grandchildren. He designed
beautiful homes and bult them himself on Pakie
Place and Alex's Alley nestled into this forested
setting.
This enthusiasm for home building continued. In
1995 he build a 100 unit apartment complex,
Ballygar Apartments, named after his family's
ancestral village in County Roscommon, Ireland.
Not only was Pat the landlord of Ballygar
Apartments, but over time, he became the
unofficial mayor as he managed these units with
concern for the tenants and pleasure in being part
of their daily lives. His enthusiasm for real
estate continued well after he retired from the
responsibility of owning and managing Ballygar.
Until last year at age 83, he was still puchasing
homes, one at a time, improving, and then selling
them, always at a nice profit.
Throughout all of these successful and profitable
ventures, Pat never strayed far from one of his
deepest loves, the Catholic Church. He took to
heart its lessons of charity and good works.
Wherever he was, he served God as best he could,
giving to the community and helping others. He did
so many good things. At each and every stage of
his life he was involved in helping others in some
way. He taught cathicism, coached baseball,
served as Post Commander for the American
Legion, served food at soup kitchens, befriended
homeless families he met on the street, managed
the St. Vincent De Paul thrift store, helped
elderly nuns, and was always giving generously to
charities. Pat loved the gift of the Holy
Eucharist and found a way to attend mass as often
as he could, preferably every day. Pat was a
devoted and a devout Catholic. He really loved the
Church.
Over the past ten years, Pat and Harriett have
resided in homes in both Clarksville TN and the
Tampa area where they have enjoyed the visits of
their children, grandchildren and great
grandchildren. Francis Patrick McDermott, Pat,
Dad, or Ahpa will be forever missed. No one can
ever take his place or match his uniqueness.
Pat is preceeded in death by his daughter, Anne,
and survived by his wife, Harriett, and
children--Mary Yarnall (EdM, White Plains, NY) and
her husband Tom; Patrick K. (LTC, USA(Ret.),
Tampa, FL) and his wife Amy; and John F. (Pastor,
Lawrence, KS) and his wife Pam. A Funeral Mass
will be held at Espiritu Santo Catholic Church in
Palm Harbor, FL at 10 am on Tuesday, 6 December
with the funeral at Florida National Cemetery in
Bushnell, FL at 11:30 am on Wednesday, 7
December. In lieu of flowers, Pat's family
requests you spend quality time with your family
and make a donation to Feed The Children, Food for
the Poor, or Catholic Charities.
Published in The Leaf Chronicle from Dec. 4 to
Dec. 5, 2016
This information was last updated 12/14/2016
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