Click here to watch Patrick's Liturgical Wake Service.

Patrick Robert Cantwell, 91, of Aberdeen, passed away Tuesday, December 12, 2017, at Aberdeen Health and Rehab.

Mass of Christian burial will be 11:00 a.m., Friday, December 15, 2017, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 11 North 2nd Avenue, in Westport, SD, with Father Jordan Samson as celebrant.

Burial, with military rites, will follow at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Westport.

Schriver’s Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, 414 5th Avenue NW, Aberdeen, is in charge of arrangements.  Friends may sign Patrick’s online guestbook and also view his service via the live stream service link at www.schriversmemorial.com.

Visitation will be 5-7 p.m., Thursday, at the mortuary with a liturgical wake service beginning at 7:00 p.m.  Visitation continues one hour prior to Mass at the church on Friday.

Patrick Robert Cantwell was born April 14, 1926, to James E. and Irene M. (Callaghan) Cantwell in Barnard, SD.  This is the area where he was raised and attended school, graduating from Barnard High School with the Class of 1944.

That same year, Patrick entered the United States Navy and served his country on The USS Metcalf Destroyer in the South Pacific until the end of World War II.  He received his Honorable Discharge in early 1946.  For many years, Pat helped organize an annual reunion of all the shipmates and Pat and Betty traveled extensively across the United States attending the reunions.

Following his discharge, Patrick returned to the states and became a serviceman for Nicol Refrigeration in Aberdeen (where he met Betty).  After three years, he started working as a route salesman for Anderson Welding.  In late 1949, Patrick began farming in the Barnard-Westport area.

Patrick was united in marriage to Elizabeth Ann Nicol on January 28, 1950, in Aberdeen.  The couple made their home on a farm near Westport, SD.   In 1958, Patrick began what would become a 35-year career as a rural mail carrier with the United States Postal Service and received a national award for driving over 1,000,000 miles accident free.  Following his retirement in 1991, Patrick spent the next several years doing carpentry and construction work.  He and Elizabeth shared 51 years of marriage and raised seven children before she passed away on September 9, 2001.  Patrick continued to reside in Aberdeen until the time of his death.

Patrick was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Westport, the Knights of Columbus, Rural Letter Carriers Association, the V.F.W., American Legion, and Retired Federal Employees Association and was a past member of the Elks.  Patrick also volunteered for many, many years at the Salvation Army and was humbled to be named Volunteer Of The Year.

In his younger years, Patrick enjoyed bowling, fishing, and spending time at the family cabin at Buffalo Lake.  He also earned his pilot’s license and greatly enjoyed the time he spent flying a plane.

Blessed to have shared in Patrick’s life are his children:  Kathy Lahman of Lincoln, NE, Patsy Kwasniewski of Watertown, SD, Maureen “Mo” Cantwell of Aberdeen, Beth (David) Doerr and Carol (Shane) Matt, both of Rapid City, SD, and Robert (Debbie) Cantwell of Aberdeen; nine grandchildren; one great-grandson; one brother, William Cantwell of Westport, SD and one sister, Elaine (Earl) Schulenburg of Dayton, MN.

Patrick is preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth “Betty”; his son, Michael James Cantwell; his parents, James and Irene; three brothers:  Jack Cantwell, Leo Cantwell and Joseph Cantwell; one sister, Jean (Cantwell) Lurton; two sons-in-law, Larry Lahman and Tim Kwasniewski; and two sisters-in-law, Virginia Cantwell and LaRue Cantwell.