The Honorable J. Patrick McArdle of Crete, Nebraska, died on November 19, 2021 at the Wilber Care Center in Wilber, Nebraska, twelve blocks from the Saline County Courthouse where he presided for 31 years.

Born on December 8, 1945, Pat was the second of three born to Dr. G. Prentiss McArdle and Charlene (Prater) McArdle of Omaha.  After graduating from Elkhorn High School in 1964, Pat studied for one year at Creighton University before transferring to Doane College in Crete, Nebraska; he graduated from Doane in 1968.  At Doane he fell in love with Eunice Kemper, and the two were married at the West Blue Church on March 20, 1970. They eventually welcomed their children Seán, twins Chris and Ryan, and twins Erin and Tim.  After graduating from the University of Nebraska Law School in 1972, Pat accepted a position with the Steinacher & Vosoba Law Firm (now Hanson, Hroch & Kuntz), working out of offices in both Crete and Wilber. Let the record reflect : Judge McArdle was appointed to the bench in 1983 by Governor Bob Kerrey, serving primarily in Saline, Jefferson, and Thayer counties until his retirement in 2014.  He was well-known for using his judicial authority with wisdom and care.

Crete and Doane were home to Pat in numerous ways.  He was an EMT and member of the Crete Volunteer Fire Department for ten years.  He was an avid golfer, active in league play for many years, and his yard afforded him both the best view in Crete of the annual 4 ^th of July fireworks display and an endless source of shanked golf balls when golfers badly missed the ninth green (though he would only use the Titleist balls).  Pat and Eunice raised all five of their children in Crete and proudly watched each of them graduate from both Crete High and Doane.

Pat really loved sports.  He played football and track and field for Omaha Westside and Elkhorn, placing fourth at State in the shot put in 1964.  He played football and threw discus for one year at Doane.  He enjoyed officiating area adult softball and high school football games across southeast Nebraska.  He was proud of son Ryan's time playing on the football field and cherished the time he spent coaching daughter Erin's softball team.  He was an avid supporter of Doane athletics, and for many years he would brag that he only needed one hand to count the number of Tiger football games he had missed.  He served as Head Timer at indoor and outdoor track meets, until AccuTrack put him out of a job and he was forced to find other ways to contribute—which, of course, he did.  He and Eunice spent years helping transport football players to and from far away games, serving treats to parents after home games, and singing "Merrill Will Ring" as the Doane Pep Band led the fight song.  He served on the Simon Field chain crew—something he would sometimes admit prevented him from 'refereeing from the bleachers'!  After retiring, he helped his friend Dennis McElravy as assistant equipment manager of the Doane football team.

Pat fondly remembered his brothers in the Tau Sigma Zeta social fraternity at Doane.  He was later embraced as an honorary member and "Dad" of the Alpha Pi Epsilon fraternity, an honor that he treasured.  He was proud of his father's twenty-five years of service on the Doane Board of Trustees.  In 1989, Doane honored Pat with the Paul D. Kersenbrock Humanitarian Award, which was named after his dear friend who had died in 1986; Pat had helped create this award while serving on the Doane Alumni Council.  This year, he was elated to welcome back Doane graduate Roger Hughes as Doane University President, and he often reminisced about the time they spent together when Roger was a football player.  Pat and Eunice enjoyed attending Doane theatre productions and musical concerts since their days as students.

Pat and Eunice valued their membership in Sertoma, a national service organization. He joined the Crete Sertoma Club in 1973 and served as club President and Governor of the local district.  He was an International Director of the five state Great Plains Region and held several offices within the national leadership, including member of the Foundation Board and National Treasurer. Pat and Eunice often traveled to regional and national Sertoma Conventions, making lifelong friends across the country.  He fried a lot of hamburgers, barbequed a lot of chicken, and flipped a lot of pancakes at many service events.

For nearly 50 years, Pat was a faithful member of the United Church of Christ, First Congregational of Crete, where he served in numerous leadership capacities.  He was a dedicated tenor in the church choir, particularly enjoying singing the "Hallelujah Chorus" under the direction of conductors like Janet Watkins, Bunny Dudley, and Mike Morris, though they would likely all agree that having Pat cracking jokes in the back row sometimes made more distraction than harmony!  Pat and Eunice taught Sunday School for Junior High grades, and he was a regular member of the Adult Discussion Group.  He was an annual meat-slicer at the church's Smorgasbord and devoted supporter of the church's social justice ministries.  The third pew on the right of the aisle will be an emptier place without him.

Pat passed on many of his loves and commitments to his children.  He introduced them to Star Wars and Star Trek , and he subscribed to comic books like The Amazing Spider-Man and The Fantastic Four —though the rule was Dad always got to read them first!  He taught his kids to love sports, and he supported them as they expressed themselves through the arts, particularly in music and theatre.  As a member of the Judicial branch, he taught them the power of government to make life better for all people.  His love for officiating at weddings and adoptions and his habit of "adopting" his kids' friends were two of many ways he demonstrated his conviction that chosen family was as important as blood family.  The last wedding he officiated was of his daughter and son-in-law, Erin and Ian.

Pat spent his entire life going to the family cabin, Kinnikinnick, which his Great Uncle John and Aunt Hester built in the early 1900s on the shore of Big Mantrap Lake near Nevis, MN.  Nearly every summer, Pat and Eunice spent their family vacation at the cabin with Pat's parents.  The cabin's isolated location in a place of such natural beauty, near to only a handful of other cabins, brought Pat peace and restoration with every visit.  He shared with his loved ones his love of fishing, playing cards, local restaurants, reading, napping, taking boat rides, and drinking coffee on the deck in the mornings as hummingbirds fed just above his head.  His last summer, in between cancer treatments, Pat and Eunice spent six weeks at the cabin with each of their children and grandchildren, their niece Ann, and many beloved dogs.

Pat was preceded in death by his parents Charlene and Prentiss McArdle, parents-in-law Betty and the Rev. Carl Kemper, brother Dennis McArdle, brother-in-law Tim Kemper, and among many pets, a cat named Jade and a dog named Wiley.  His survivors include his wife Eunice, children Seán and Rachel, children Chris and Erin and grandson Eddy, children Ryan and Julie and grandson Luke, children Erin and Ian and baby girl Brooks due in January, children Tim and Sara and grandchildren Emma, Bella, and John Cormac, niece Ann Kemper, sister Susie (Jim) Bullock, sister-in-law Carol McArdle, sister-in-law Beverly (Doug) Clark, brother-in-law Tom (Bonnie) Kemper, a dog named Leia, and many other family members, both by blood and by choice.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 2:00 P.M. at the United Church of Christ, First Congregational in Crete.  Memorials may be designated to the UCC First Congregational Church of Crete, the Doane Athletic Department, the Alpha Pi Epsilon Endowed Scholarship at Doane, the Charlene P. McArdle Endowed Scholarship at Doane, or Sertoma, Inc.