Brother Patrick R. Lacey, O.S.B., a monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey, died Saturday, August 14, 2010. He was the son of the late Ligouri and Mary Lacey of Carrolltown. He was born December 20, 1930 in Carrolltown. He was one of nine children, including Jean Lantzy, Carrolltown; Sally Skirsky, Carrolltown; Thomas J. Lacey, Hedgesville, West Virginia; and the late James, Donald and Bridget Lacey, Mary Louise Gray, and Caroline Vescovi.
He entered the novitiate at the Saint Vincent Archabbey on July 2, 1948 after attending Saint Benedict Grade School and Carrolltown High School. He professed his monastic vows on July 2, 1949.
Brother Pat, as the students affectionately called him, served Saint Vincent Archabbey and College as its fire chief from 1963 until his retirement in 2001. He has been active in a number of state, regional and local firemens’ associations. He served as a Pennsylvania state instructor in firefighting from 1963 until 1998, when he was named emeritus state instructor. He was past president and chaplain of the Westmoreland County Chiefs Association. He was a member of the Keystone Chiefs Association, the International Fire Chiefs Association, member and chaplain of the Westmoreland Firemens Association, member and director of the Westmoreland County Fire School, member of the Fire Prevention Committee of Southwestern Pennsylvania, member of the Firemens Association of Pennsylvania and member and chaplain of the Mohawk Association of Westmoreland County. Following his retirement as fire chief he was named chaplain and fire chief emeritus of the Saint Vincent Fire Department. He also served as head of the sheet metal and plumbing shop at Saint Vincent from 1948 to 2001.
Brother Pat was bowling coach at Saint Vincent College from 1970 to 1981. In 1973 and 1978 he was named NAIA National District Coach of the Year, and in 1978 he led the Saint Vincent Bowling Team to the NAIA National Championship. The team was the ACUI Regional Four Bowling Champion in 1973. He was honored by the Bearcat Athletic Club with a special award presented on August 7,1998, in recognition of many years of outstanding service to the Saint Vincent and area communities.
Brother Pat was a lifelong friend of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He became the unofficial groundskeeper, accepting responsibility for upkeep of the football fields for the Steelers’ summer training camps, which have been held at Saint Vincent for 45 years. An avid football fan, he remained a lifelong friend of the Steelers and the Rooney family.
Brother Pat received the American Legion Citizenship Award in 1981 and was the grand marshal of the Fourth of July Parade in Latrobe in 1996. In 1973 he was awarded the Second Annual Fire Service Award at the annual Westmoreland County Firemen’s Convention. He also served as president of the Greater Latrobe Church Softball League.
The body will be received at 3 p.m. Tuesday, August 17, 2010, in the Elizabeth J. Roderick Center of Saint Vincent Archabbey. Viewing will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday. A vigil service will be held at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday in the Archabbey Basilica. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated by Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, August 19 in the Basilica. Interment will follow in the Saint Vincent Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Brother Patrick Lacey Student Firefighter Scholarship Fund, Saint Vincent College, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, Pennsylvania 15650.