Father Patrick McGrath
Father Patrick McGrath, with his heavy Irish lilt, arrived in California when Cynthia Brian was in grammar school. He became her very best friend, champion, mentor, and celebrator for a lifetime. During her teen years, they joined together to form the first citywide youth organization in Northern California. They wanted teens to have a place to go, meet with other teens, have fun, and still be supervised in a nonjudgmental way. Father McGrath had a way of interacting with youth. He listened. He heard. He understood. He implemented changes. He celebrated their differences. He believed in celebrating life and goodness. Never judging you by the styles of the day, he looked past that and into your soul. He knew how to commemorate an occasion and applaud even the smallest achievement. Through great times and horrible times, he was present with open arms and open hearts. He died on Sunday, July 12, 2009. He is immortalized in the book by Cynthia Brian, Be the Star You Are!® 99 Gifts for Living, Loving, Laughing, and Learning to Make a Difference in the Chapter of Celebration. He contributed the chapter, The Gift of Sports in the book, Be the Star You Are!® for TEENS. A donation in his honor can be made at http://www.bethestaryouare.org/FrMcGrath.html