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.
2025 Grand Marshal
James M. Lavelle
James and his wife, Elizabeth “Liza”, are the proud parents to four grown children: Hugh, Grace, Owen and John. Son of the late Bernard and Mary Lavelle, James is a Holyoke native where he and his 8 siblings grew up in the Oakdale neighborhood. The Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade and their proud Irish ancestry runs deep with the Lavelle family. James’ father, Bernard “Bernie” M. Lavelle, Jr. was a very active member of the St. Patrick’s Committee having led the Parade as Grand Marshal in 1988 and James’ daughter, Grace, was a member of the Grand Colleen Court in 2016.
James is General Manager of Holyoke Gas and Electric (HG&E) which provides gas, electric and telecommunications services to its customers. Through Jim’s leadership, HG&E has implemented innovative projects, such as acquisition of the Holyoke Dam and Canal system and the development of solar and energy storage, that not only benefit customers and the environment, but have also been recognized through several achievements, including the 2021 & 2023 Utility Transformation Leaderboard by the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA). He is a graduate of Holyoke High School and the University of Massachusetts where he received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration. Jim serves on the boards of several professional associations including as Director of the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company, Municipal Electric Association of Massachusetts, Northeast Public Power Association, PeoplesBank, Holyoke Chamber of Commerce and as Director and President of the Holyoke Solar Cooperative and Massachusetts Clean Energy Cooperative.
James also enjoys giving back to his community having served as a Trustee for Holyoke Community College, on the Finance Committee of St. Jerome Parish, the Board for the Greater Holyoke YMCA, and as coach for Holyoke Youth Football and Holyoke YMCA Basketball.
“I am excited that we are honoring Holyoke native, James Lavelle, as Grand Marshal,” said John Beaulieu, Parade President. “His dedication to his family, his career and his community are well known and I’m grateful to the Grand Marshal’s Selection Committee for choosing him with this most esteemed honor. I look forward to having James Lavelle and his family lead the 72nd Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade on March 23, 2025.”
“I am very grateful to be recognized by the Parade Committee and truly honored to be asked to lead the 72nd Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade” said James. “The Parade Committee does such a wonderful job producing the Parade and related events that have such a positive impact on Holyoke and the region and I am thrilled to be asked to be part of it. I look forward to following in my father’s footsteps and marching in the Parade with my family.”
James Lavelle will be honored at the Grand Marshal's Reception on Friday, January 17, 2025, at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. For more details or to purchase tickets to the reception, please contact Stephanie Joyce (stef0816@comcast.net).
The 72nd Grand Marshal
of the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade
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
2024 - Mary Lynch
* Denotes Deceased