Patrick Robert Dwyer passed away unexpectedly at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Indianapolis on June 14, three days shy of his 76th birthday. He was surrounded by loved ones, including his wife of 36 years, Cathy, and his daughter Molly, all of whom raised a toast in his honor with his signature drink: a Maker’s Mark perfect Manhattan — up — with a water back. A nurse remarked it was the first time he had seen a minibar at a deathbed. His family is deeply sure Pat would have loved this, because if you knew Pat Dwyer, you knew he loved a good story told over a stiff drink. He lived an incredibly full life that he enjoyed recounting often to family, friends, acquaintances, and even those he just met.
Pat was born on June 17, 1950 to William H. Dwyer Jr. and Frances M. Dwyer (née Meisel) in Indianapolis, the youngest of three boys. His father joked that he had three sons in order to have a foursome for golf, pre-ordaining Pat’s lifelong love for the game. Pat grew up in Broad Ripple, where he attended Immaculate Heart of Mary School. A classmate aptly described him as a rare person who was both “cool” and kind. He went on to attend Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, graduating in 1968. His daughter followed in his footsteps at Brebeuf, graduating in 2012.
Pat loved to water ski and even went professional, performing shows at Indiana Beach in his teens. His skills included slalom, dead-start barefoot, kite-skiing, pyramids, and jumping through rings of fire. Pat had the rare distinction of being administered last rites three times in his life, the first of which came after he fell 70 feet onto a dock from his crashed kite, as noted in his teenage profile in the Indianapolis Star. Pursuing his love for sunshine and the water, Pat moved to Florida and earned a degree in industrial engineering from the University of Miami in 1972. Pat went into business with his brother, traveling across the Midwest as a manufacturing parts sales representative. Pat met the love of his life, Cathy (née Crawford), on a blind date the night before her 25th birthday. Pat proposed to her with a claddagh ring on St. Patrick’s Day, and they were married at St. Joan of Arc Church in Indianapolis on November 18, 1989. Nothing made him happier than getting dressed up to take his wife out to dinner, holding hands with her, and asking for the best seat in the house. Their daughter, Molly, was born in 1994 and immediately became the apple of his eye. Pat and Molly spent many Saturdays together at the Indianapolis Athletic Club, where they would swim, play racquetball, schvitz, and share a malted vanilla milkshake. When Molly took Pat to Ireland for his 70th birthday, it became clear what a quintessential Irishman he truly was — seeing his defining warmth, humor, and twinkling blue eyes reflected back in local pubs.
Pat was the whole package — and then some. A true gentleman, properly dapper, always willing to help, and a friend to all. Pat never met a stranger; his family encourages all who are looking to honor him to strike up a conversation with someone new.
He is survived by his loving wife, Cathy; his beloved daughter, Molly, and her wife, Jennifer Sciortino; his brother, Joseph; his niece Angela Messersmith; and his extended network of friends and chosen family from Indiana to New Jersey. He is preceded in death by his parents,
William H. Dwyer Jr. (Patricia Thornton) and Frances Dwyer; his mother-in-law, Patsy Crawford; and his brother, William M. Dwyer.
A wake will be held at Murphy’s Steakhouse at Flynn’s at 5198 Allisonville Rd, Indianapolis, IN on Sunday, June 28, from 1pm-3pm.