Over the years, the various Fair committees have chosen to recognize a few ‘gone but not forgotten’ King William residents who have left an indelible imprint on our neighborhood. It’s yet another way to honor those who have gone before us and to keep their memories alive.
Pat Sodke, the namesake of “Pat’s Pub” was an all around terrific guy but he was the Fair’s beer chair for about five years and before that he was co-chair with Frank Emmett. Sadly, he died unexpectedly in 1995 at the young age of 44.
Pat’s connection to the neighborhood goes back to the 1970s when he bought and restored a house at the end of Crofton Street. After selling that house and living in and out of the neighborhood for several years, he and Lou Terwey bought the triplex at 311 Mission Street in 1990.
One of his favorite hobbies was playing darts. Chris Madrid’s was one of the first teams he played on. Lou says that the last game he played was the night before he died.
Pat spent several years in the Air Force as a medical technician. After the Air Force, he went into building construction. “He was a firm believer of salvaging building materials and loved the solid construction of older homes,” says Lou. “If not for him, I wouldn’t know the difference between a kerf and a plinth!”
“When Pat went into the construction business," says Lou, “he had his own crew and took on big restoration jobs. He must have worked on at least 40 houses in our area. Later, he decided to scale down his business and handle smaller jobs where he could do much of the work himself.” When Pat had his fatal heart attack, he had his saw in his hand, doing the work that he loved.
Perhaps it was his sense of humor, his enthusiasm and unconditional acceptance of people, no matter who they were, that endeared him to his many friends.