TORONTO — When referring to the dates on his tombstone, with the date of his birth on one end followed by a final date on the other, Patrick Joseph Doherty said what mattered most of all was “the dash between those years.”
Wise words from the larger-than-life travel industry veteran who passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on March 27 at The Villages Regional Hospital near Ocala, Florida.
Known by friends and colleagues as the “Redman”, Doherty was born in 1940 in Dublin, Ireland where he eventually worked as a young man in local shipping yards. Guided by his entrepreneurial spirit, he immigrated to Canada in 1968 and co-founded Alltour Marketing Support Services Ltd., the distribution partner of the Canadian travel industry. In the last quarter of his illustrious career, he joined Baxter Publishing where he established a multitude of partnerships that lasted well into his retirement.
In his obituary, Doherty’s family spoke of his love of life, golf, travel and piano bars, and said no one was too insignificant for him to reach out with a friendly smile and say, “My pleasure to meet you!” He loved people of all ethnic backgrounds, ages, professions and interests.
Doherty was a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, mentor, friend and business partner. He is pre-deceased by his wife of 40 years, Catherine (Dolly), and is survived by his sister, Mary O’Sullivan, and brother, Harry Doherty in Dublin, daughters Elizabeth, Martina and Sarah, sons-in-law Peter and Tony, grandchildren Nicole, Patrick, Celene, Reilly, Aidan, Ryan, Caleb and Gabriel, and great-grandchild Connor.
A visitation will be held on April 9 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. and 7:00-9:00 p.m. at Glendale Memorial Gardens, 1810 Albion Road, Etobicoke, Ont. Funeral mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on April 10 at Saint Peter’s Church, 100 Bainbridge Avenue, Vaughan, Ont. Cremation has already taken place. Arrangements in care of Glendale Memorial Gardens (416) 697-1803.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
