Patrick Michael Fagan

A funeral mass for Patrick Michael Fagan, 79, of Lawrence, Kan., will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 13, preceded by a visitation at 9:30 a.m. and a rosary at 10:15 a.m., at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Lawrence. Burial will be held at 1:45 pm, in Mount Calvary Cemetery in Topeka.

Pat died Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, at Bridge Haven in Lawrence. He married Regina “Jeannie” Tierce on Feb. 10, 1968, at Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Topeka, Kan. She survives. He also is survived by their three sons: Mark and his wife, Susie, of Lawrence; John, of Washington, D.C.; and Paul and his wife, Jennifer, of Matthews, N.C. Pat’s four grandchildren also survive: Erin and Max, of Lawrence, and Caroline and Campbell, of Matthews. He also is survived by a sister, Anne Marie, and her husband, Tony Maurin, of Metairie, La. He was preceded in death by a sister, Rita, and her husband, Joe McCaffrey, of Topeka. He is survived by many nieces and nephews, and gathered with cousins and many other relatives each Memorial Day in Reading, Kan.

Pat was born April 28, 1943, in Topeka, the son of Ed and Helen (Assenmacher) Fagan. He graduated from Hayden High School in Topeka. He earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Kansas, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity and graduated from the Naval ROTC program. He later earned a master’s degree in education from Pepperdine University. He was a graduate of the Naval War College and the National War College. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Navy League, the American Legion and the Military Officers Association of America.

Pat served as an officer in the U.S. Navy for 30 years, retiring in 1996 at the rank of captain and as commanding officer of Naval ROTC at KU. During his career he held three sea commands: USS Hitchiti, USS Saginaw, and USS Ogden. After retirement from the Navy, he served for another eight years as a teacher and leader of the Junior Naval ROTC program at Shawnee Mission West High School in Overland Park, Kan. He delivered meals as a volunteer for Lawrence Meals on Wheels. He enjoyed regular meetings over coffee with friends at Munchers Bakery in Lawrence.

Services are being handled by Warren-McElwain Mortuary, in Lawrence. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to Lawrence Meals on Wheels or Douglas County Visiting Nurses, sent in care of the funeral home.