Jason Spangler shares his memories of Pat Stephens

On La Crosse Talk on Wednesday, Jason Spangler, who has known Pat for a number of years, shared his memories of Pat and shared a statement he'd written.  We learned last night that La Crosse lost one of its true community leaders, Pat Stephens. Pat was the kind of guy who didn't just show up. He took the chair, made the calls, rallied the volunteers. And then stayed late to stack the tables. Many of you knew him through Rotary Lights, which has lit up Riverside Park since 1995 and grown into a holiday tradition enjoyed by roughly 130,000 visitors a year. Pat also poured his heart into celebrating Irish heritage here at home. He helped found Irish Fest La Crosse and led it for years.  He was once honored as Mr. Irishman, the Irish Man of the Year representing that culture with pride, humor and a big, welcoming smile. If you ever watched the Saint Patrick's Day parade and felt that little lift in your chest, that's the spirit Pat helped keep alive. Service for Pat wasn't just seasonal. He helped launch Freedom Honor Flight, and he took a leadership role with Freedom Fest, raising money for veterans, scholarships and support for the Veterans Hall of Honor on the UW-La Crosse campus. And long before the lights or the festivals, Pat spent decades at UW Lacrosse raising funds and building relationships that turned into scholarships and campus projects that still serve students every single day. People at UWL called him Positive Pat because he could walk into a room and leave it better than he found it. He also served as the 1993 Riverfest Commodore with his wife Joanne, an honor that comes with years of representing Riverfest in parades, banquets and fundraisers, not just during the 4th of July week. Pat had that rare gift of making you feel like you belonged and then handing you a job to do because he believed you could. And he leaves behind a La Crosse that's brighter, kinder and more connected because he was here. My condolences to Joanne, their family and everyone who loved Pat Stephens.  And if there's such a thing as a Saint Patrick of La Crosse Pat Stephens sure felt like it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.