Shawn Vestal: The tale of how Pat and Patty met on St. Patrick’s Day

It was the Friday before St. Patrick’s Day, 1992, which meant St. Patrick’s Day season was well under way.

Patty Henchel went to the Hi-Neighbor Tavern on North Monroe with a friend to play darts. Someone introduced her to Pat Hallinan. If they noticed the coincidence at the time – Pat, Patty, St. Paddy’s – it went unremarked.

“He’s kind of a quiet guy,” she said. “I was trying to engage him in conversation. He was pretty … introspective, let’s just say.”

“Well,” Pat said, “we did speak.”

Patty had to force matters with a follow-up call, and it’s a good thing she did, because the Great St. Patrick’s Day Meet-Cute of 1992 produced a long-lasting marriage and a big family of kids and grandkids. Pat and Patty Hallinan will celebrate their 22nd anniversary in a month, but today’s Irish holiday carries almost as much significance for the couple.

“I thought she was really cute, and it was great that she called me,” Pat said. “I think we were fated to be together, in a way, meeting on that day.”

The Hallinans are Spokane natives and budding empty-nesters. Patty, 54, is an office coordinator at Gonzaga University who graduated from Central Valley High in 1981. Pat, 55, is an environmental engineer for the state Department of Ecology who graduated from Gonzaga Prep in 1980. They have three children together, and Patty has two from a previous marriage. They also have four young grandchildren.

With their youngest kids, 19-year-old twins, off to college, the Hallinans are entering a new time of life. Their house, their time – theirs again.

“We’re looking forward to doing things together again,” Pat said. “It’ll be our first year as empty-nesters.”

The Hallinans, who live in the Logan neighborhood, raised their family to enjoy the outdoors, camping and fishing. Their Christian faith was always important to them, Patty said – a cornerstone for their relationship and family. Their kids attended Catholic schools, and two are now in Jesuit universities.

“They are our grounding,” Patty said. “Our children are our grounding, and there was never any question we’d be together and stay together.”

As they raised their family, they always made a point of marking this holiday.

“We never missed a St. Patrick’s Day parade,” Patty said.

In more recent years, Pat said, “We don’t celebrate much, but we always have the corned beef and cabbage. That’s pretty much a staple.”

This year Patty is in Tacoma visiting kids and grandkids.

Their anniversary falls on April 15 – a day Patty selected because it’s easy to remember. But wasn’t there another day that might be even easier to remember?

“Initially, we talked about getting married on St. Patrick’s Day, but that was actually the anniversary of my first marriage,” Patty said.

In the context of their time together, a minor coincidence over their names might seem rather small. What’s much larger is what they’ve built together, starting with the seeds of that St. Patrick’s Day meeting 25 years ago at the Hi-Neighbor.

“He’s still as cute as when I met him,” Patty said.