Patricia Ann McCarty, 79, passed away on April 18, 2026, at Our Lady of Peace Hospice House in St. Paul, Minnesota. A graveside service will be held at St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery in Leeds, North Dakota, on May 28 at 1:00 p.m.

Pat was born on August 14, 1946, to James and Edna (Beck) McCarty in Rugby, North Dakota, and was raised on the family farm north of York. She was a graduate of Leeds High School and earned degrees from the University of North Dakota, the University of Washington, and the University of Minnesota.

Pat dedicated her professional life to helping others as a Speech-Language Pathologist and was a lifelong certified member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Her studies and certifications also included Early Childhood Education and Hearing Impaired Education, and she later became a grief counselor. Throughout her career, Pat explored a wide variety of interests, always guided by compassion and a desire to serve.

Her deepest vocation was her work with the Franciscans. Pat became an Associate of the Sisters of St. Francis, first accepting the Tau Cross in 1988 at Covenant House in New York City, and later in Minnesota. She devoted years to working with the poor and marginalized—runaway and street children in New York City, the adult poor within the Archdiocese of Minneapolis–St. Paul, and communities in Central America. She was also an active member of the North American Conference of Associates and Religious, as well as Network, the National Catholic Social Justice Lobby.

A lifelong learner and traveler, Pat attended summer programs at the Tantur Institute of Advanced Theological Studies in Jerusalem; the Sorbonne in Paris, France; and Cambridge University in England. She especially loved exploring history and theology.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents, aunts, uncles, and several cousins and friends.

Memorials may be made to St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery Fund, c/o Tammy Meyer, 5125 49th Ave NE, York, ND 58386, or to Our Lady of Peace Hospice House, 2076 St. Anthony Ave, St. Paul, MN 55104.