Grand Marshal
The Grand Marshal of the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade is the highest local honor given to a person of Irish ancestry and either a resident of the city of Holyoke or a member of the Parade Committee. He/she has distinguished themselves as a loyal person to the Parade Committee, their career, their family, and to their Irish ancestry.
2024 Grand Marshal
Mary M. Lynch
The 71st Grand Marshal of the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade
Mary M. Feyre Lynch is a life-long resident of the city of Holyoke and a graduate of Holyoke Catholic High School, Holyoke Community College, and earned both her Baccalaureate and M.Ed. degrees in Education from Westfield State College. She is a Professor Emerita from the Education Department at Holyoke Community College.
Mary is the daughter of the late Raymond J. and Mary G. Sullivan Feyre and grew up on Linden Street in Holyoke with her 10 siblings. She and her twin brother Ray Feyre have the distinction of being the only set of twins to serve as Grand Marshal of the St. Patrick’s Committee. Ray led the Parade in 2015. She and her husband John “Art” Lynch have two daughters, Mary Ellen and Maureen. Mary Ellen resides in Newport, R.I. with her husband Nicholas C. Pappas. Maureen lives in Holyoke with her husband James T. Tisdell and are the parents to Emma, Jack, Patrick, and Liam.
A member of the St. Patrick’s Committee since 1989, Mary was elected a member of its Board of Directors and has served on and chaired a number of operating committees. These include the Coronation Ball, Grand Marshal’s reception, JFK and Memorial Mass and the Communion Breakfast, the Citizenship Selection Committee and its’ reception, the Parade Program Book, Parade Coordination and Tartan Committees. In 1996, Mary received the Thomas F. Rohan Award and in 1970, she had the honor of being chosen as a member of the Grand Colleen’s Court.
Having obtained teacher licensures in both Massachusetts and Connecticut, Mary became actively involved in the field of education as a Substitute Teacher in the Holyoke Public Schools and a Master Teacher in the Laboratory Preschool at Holyoke Community College. It was during this time, that the YMCA became an integral part of her professional and public life. In 1985, she implemented “Preschool at the Y,” which served as an educational Preschool program for 3 – 5-year-old children throughout Holyoke and its surrounding communities. She remained as a teaching Director at the Y, while teaching courses during the evening at Holyoke Community College in their Education Department. Mary became an Academic Support Teacher and Substitute Teacher with the Suffield Public School System. In 1996, she became a full time Faculty Member in the Education Department at Holyoke Community College where she remained until her retirement, completing 36 years as an Educator.
Mary has been very involved in the Holyoke community over the years. She has been a member of the Holyoke Crosstown Friends Committee and the Board of Directors of the Holyoke Youth Pioneer Valley Soccer Club. She served as a member of the Greater Holyoke YMCA Campaign Drive, and as a member of the Selection Committee to appoint an Executive Director to the YMCA. She was a proud recipient of the Louis F. Oldershaw Community Service Award by the Greater Holyoke YMCA in 2010.
Mary was a member of the former Sacred Heart Church Parish Council, and also dedicated her time as a Religious Education Instructor there. She is currently a parishioner at St. Jerome’s Church in Holyoke.
Mary served on the Board of Directors of the Irish Cultural Center at the Elms College and was Secretary to their Board. During her tenure, she devoted a number of years to promoting the Irish culture and heritage, while establishing many long-lasting friendships with members on the Board. Her involvement with the St. Patrick’s Committee has strengthened this appreciation of her Irish heritage and she is proud to pass this along to her daughters and grandchildren.
Past Grand Marshals
1952 Thomas Rohan*
1953 Atty. John S. Begley*
1954 Daniel J. O’Connell*
1955 Rep. Emmett J. Cauley*
1956 Elmer J. Harrington, M.D.*
1957 William P. Sullivan*
1958 William R. Peck*
1959 Hon. William E. Nolan*
1960 John J. Driscoll, M.D.*
1961 Michael H. Moran*
1962 Hon. Maurice A. Donahue*
1963 Eugene O’Neill*
1964 Jeremiah J. Lawler*
1965 Joseph F. Lynch, D.M.D.*
1966 Atty. Joseph J. Kelley*
1967 Thomas W. Padden*
1968 William J. Dean*
1969 James F. Millane*
1970 Francis R. King*
1971 William G. Rogers*
1972 David M. Bartley*
1973 Timothy J. Sullivan*
1974 Dr. George E. Frost*
1975 William W. Mahoney*
1976 Richard J. Murphy*
1977 Francis J. Baker*
1978 Edward F. Sheehy*
1979 Judge John F. Moriarty*
1980 James J. Shea*
1981 Edward F. Nugent*
1982 Rev. Maurice B. Martin*
1983 John T. Hickey*
1984 James “Barry” Farrell*
1985 James E. O’Leary*
1986 Most Rev. Leo E. O’Neil, D.D.*
1987 Anne H. McHugh*
1988 Bernard M. Lavelle, Jr.*
1989 Thomas J. Donahue*
1990 James K. Kelly*
1991 Patrick B. Bresnahan, III
1992 Edward B. (Pop) Coughlin*
1993 Atty. Maurice J. Ferriter
1994 Robert J. Rohan*
1995 Charles W. “Bill” Dinn*
1996 Dr. Francis M. Baker*
1997 Dr. John E. McHugh*
1998 Daniel E. Tierney*
1999 Francis M. Kane
2000 Rev. Francis X. Sullivan*
2001 Most Rev. Joseph F. Maguire*
2002 James A. Curran*
2003 Atty. Peter F. Brady
2004 Joseph V. Gosselin*, Jr.
2005 Russell J. McNiff, Sr.
2006 Frederick L. Sullivan, Esq.
2007 Alan F. Cathro
2008 Judge Ann M. Gibbons*
2009 Christine Padden Zajac
2010 Joseph M. McGiverin
2011 Gerald D. Healy
2012 Barry J. Farrell
2013 Brian Q. Corridan
2014 Roger P. Donoghue*
2015 Raymond H. Feyre
2016 Patricia C. Devine
2017 Sr. Jane Morrissey
2018 David “Archie” Donoghue
2019 Roger J. Reidy
2020 - 2022 Atty. John J. Driscoll
2023 - Jane Coughlin Chevalier
* Denotes Deceased