The rector of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen called the death of L. Patrick Deering “the loss of a huge figure in the parish and in the archdiocese.”
Deering, a longtime cathedral parishioner, Baltimore corporate leader and philanthropist, died Aug. 7 at age 88. A funeral Mass was offered at the cathedral Aug. 18.
“Patrick was a man of complete integrity,” said Monsignor J. Bruce Jarboe, cathedral rector, noting that Deering volunteered as a parish corporator, a member of the Cathedral Preservation Trust, a member of the pastoral council and a member of the finance council. “He was beyond reproach when it came to exercising his life with the highest level of integrity.”
Monsignor Jarboe said Deering was “very direct, very candid and very forthright in his assessment of things.”
“He was always constructive in his disposition,” the priest said. “He was focused on how the ministry of our parish could be developed and made stronger and more effective.”
Born in Ireland, Deering was the former managing partner of the Baltimore office of Coopers & Lybrand, an international accounting firm. He later served as president/chief executive and chairman of Riggs, Counselman, Michaels and Downs, a Baltimore-based insurance brokerage and consulting firm.
Active in numerous archdiocesan and civic endeavors, Deering was a supporter of St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Roland Park and Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore. Some of his board memberships included the Baltimore City Foundation, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Charlestown Retirement Community and Maryland Hospital Association.
Deering had a strong interest in promoting Catholic education, Monsignor Jarboe said. The L. Patrick Deering Educational Fund has been established in his honor to help disadvantaged children attend the School of the Cathedral.
“He was a trustworthy guide and a terrifically upstanding, strong example of what a dedicated person of Catholic faith can be,” Monsignor Jarboe said. “His spiritual life and his work life were all consistent.”