PAT MAYERCHAK

Patrick M. Mayerchak, legendary husband, father and grandfather, peacefully passed away at the age of 79 on the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022, at the University of Virginia’s Cardiac ICU with his wife and daughter by his side after complications from a planned surgery to correct his pulmonary hypertension.

Born and raised in Covington, Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, Patrick was pronounced legally blind at the age of 2 after surgery to remove cataracts, which are one of the symptoms of a rare congenital syndrome. From an early age, Patrick gained an incredible interest in music from his mother, Julia, and father, John, as their phonograph played good ole country music continuously. He was given a toy guitar at a young age, which quickly became his prized possession, one that he treasured for the entirety of his life. It wasn’t much later when Buddy Holly became his major music influencer.

Home schooled for the better part of his primary school years, Patrick later attended the local Catholic High School and the Kentucky School for the Blind for secondary, where he received piano lessons. Following years of collegiate education at the University of Kentucky and the successful pursuit of a doctorate from American University in International Studies, Pat was hired to teach political science in the History Department at Virginia Military Institute after an impromptu interview while passing through Lexington in the summer of 1974.

During his 33-year tenure at VMI, he founded what is now the International Studies Department, co-authored a book about U.S. economic relations with ASEAN, authored several publications on U.S. relations in the Pacific, participated in regional and national political science associations, contributed to Virginia and Lexington radio stations with commentary on political and civic matters, led multiple international trips with cadets to Canada and Southeast Asia, and initiated military exchange programs with Mongolia and Thailand.

At the same time, he also played an active role in local civic affairs by serving 11 years on Lexington City Council and participating in commissions such as the Rockbridge Area Economic Development Commission.

After retiring from VMI, Pat’s commitment to local civic affairs continued as he joined the Sunrise Rotary Club and served as a board member of the Rockbridge Area Relief Association. After deciding to move into Kendal with his wife, Mary Jane, he joined the community’s public policy discussion groups and served as a member of the Sustainability Committee. He also became actively involved at his church, Grace Episcopal, playing music when needed and working on bringing the physical church up to 21st century sustainability standards.

While serving as a professor of academia was his official career, he cherished being simply Pat Mayerchak, the man, known by many of us as a dear friend, a dedicated community member, an avid musician, a storyteller, a motor enthusiast, and a merry prankster! Not only was he known for his stellar teaching tactics (some say he often made hilarious impressions on his cadets by jumping up on his desk and playing the air guitar in the middle of instruction), but he was also known for his incredible gift of storytelling … to kids at bedtime, on the air at WREL 96.7 and WLUR 91.5, to friends at dinner parties and through his music. A true storyteller knows how to engage all ages and Pat could steal the focus of a gaggle of third grade girls or boys at his children’s sleepovers, regaling them with “Clarence the Lion” stories for hours until every soul was asleep, including himself.

Musically endowed, Pat could pick up most any instrument and play a tune. He was known for playing acoustic and electric rhythm guitar, electric keyboard and piano, bass, drums, as well as being quite the lyricist. He’d often break out in song in response to a question during a conversation while bebopping on his thighs – writing a song in less than a minute. He was a member of several bands, with Pop Korn, later renamed The Shoguns, being his first during college in the ‘60s while attending the University of Kentucky. After a 47-year hiatus, all five original band members reunited in 2015 to record the album “Highway of Dreams,” which included previously recorded singles from the 1960s as well as new material.

The House Mountain Band with local band members Harold Conklin, Danny Newhall and Ray Blouin (and also at different times - Barcus Jernigan, Tony Short and Blair Shepperd) made music together for over 20 plus years, playing the Ice Cream Supper at the Palmer Community Center, for weddings, VMI reunions, and other community celebrations. They recorded the album “We’re History” in 2005 as a final “hooray!” Most recently, Pat joined The Sunrise Ridge Boys Band upon moving into Kendal and certainly could be spotted at any and all jam sessions around town at any given point. Throughout his musical career, he played with several famous musicians, one being the drummer of Pure Prairie League, Billy Hinds, who he also interviewed on his radio show in the ‘90s.

Despite being legally blind, which kept him from ever earning a driver’s license, Pat had an incredible love and knowledge of cars, extremely large cars, and couldn’t stay away from encouraging everyone in his family to own the biggest automobile they could; there may even have been a few hearse purchases in his life and a few surprises to family members of a “boat” parked out front on the odd occasion.

Pat was a scholar, a mentor, the BEST father and husband, and always strived to live a vibrant life and to help others do the same. He can be remembered tootling around in town on his purple scooter with his guitar strapped upon his back always ready to Rock and Roll.

Patrick was preceded in death by his father, John Mayerchak, and mother, Julia Mayerchak.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Jane Mayerchak; his two children, Martin Mayerchak (Laila Kuznezov) and Suzanne Mayerchak (D. Christian Duncan); and his three grandchildren, Nicholas and Alexandra Mayerchak, and Broeden Duncan.

A burial and memorial service will be planned in the spring. I n lieu of flowers, in honor of Patrick, donations can be made to Boxerwood Nature Center and Woodland Gardens in Lexington. N-G