Patricia S. McArdle

Patricia McArdle, two weeks shy of her 94th birthday, passed away in her sleep early in the morning of May 26 after suffering various physical ailments that had plagued her in recent months. A resident of Bedford Court Senior Living until a recent move to Columbia, Pat McArdle was a devoted mother to nine children, a grandmother to 18 children and a great-grandmother to 12.

She is preceded in death by her first husband, James Joseph Kirwin III in 1970 & her second husband, Thomas J. McArdle in 2002.

Born in Washington D.C. on June 9, 1928 to Pearce & Corinne Smith, she was the oldest of four children. Her only surviving sibling, Kathleen Franke, was at her side when she passed away. Pat is preceded in death by her siblings, Paul Smith & Mary Alice Halley.

Pat attended Nativity Catholic Church grade school and Immaculate Conception High School before attending St. Joseph's College for women in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where she graduated in 1950. She had 5 children while married to Jim Kirwin: Mary Patricia, Joe, Paul, Teri, & Dennis.  When she married Tom McArdle in 1973, she became stepmother to Chris, Mary, Matt, and Mark. She raised all nine children and worked successfully to blend the two families into one. 

Pat moved to Ocean City, Maryland in 2003 where she was a devoted parishioner and volunteer at Holy Savior Catholic Church. In 2014, she was presented with the ‘Order of Merit’ in recognition for her outstanding contributions to the Diocese of Wilmington.  She left behind a legion of friends in 2017 when she moved to Bedford Court.

A trained educator, Pat served as a full-time and substitute teacher over the course of several decades during her years as a homemaker. She was an entrepreneur and ran a successful estate sale company for over 10 years in Montgomery County, MD. 

Pat was probably best known for her love of life and a good party! She loved birthday parties, showers, weddings and most importantly, St. Patrick’s Day! She loved late afternoon cocktails on the beach, watching the sunsets. She was proud of the fact that she attended the high school graduation of every grandchild and most of their college graduations. Throughout her life, Pat was an avid bridge player and a passionate sports fan, especially Washington Redskins & Washington Nationals. 

The love of family dominated Pat’s life. She attended the “Smith Family” reunions that started in1996 in Jamestown, RI, to celebrate the heritage of Pat’s grandparents, Samuel Smith & Bridget Murphy, in their hometown. The two were immigrants from England and Ireland who were parents to 6 children and an extensive legacy of hard work, entrepreneurship, music, and horticulture.  These characteristics are still dominant among their many descendants. The Smith family reunion will reconvene again this summer in Green Bay, Wisconsin and for the first time in its history, it will be held without the presence of Pat McArdle.

She will be truly missed.

Donations may be made in her memory to:

Holy Savior Catholic Church
1705 Philadelphia Ave,
Ocean City, MD   21842

 

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Patricia S. McArdle, please visit our Tree Store.