J. Patrick McLaughlin ’76

Pat died in Dallas July 14, 2023, following an illness.

He graduated cum laude from Deerfield Academy, where he was active on the football, track, cross country, and chess teams. At Princeton, he majored in civil engineering, rowed heavyweight crew, was a member of Ivy Club, and in his spare time worked on his paintings and sketches.

After graduating with a B.S.E., Pat accepted a job offer in construction engineering in Saudi Arabia for two years. Upon returning to the States, he settled in North Carolina, where he oversaw housing development projects in three states. He met and married Jennifer, and together they raised three sons during their 33 years of marriage.

Pat pursued a law degree at the University of North Carolina. He graduated cum laude in 1985 and moved his family to Dallas, where he began a legal career, working at several large firms before starting his private practice in 1995. He was known as an attorney dedicated to his clients.

Pat enjoyed travel with his family and learning languages: French, Spanish, and Japanese. He was a lifelong artist and sculptor, proudest of his bronze-cast sculpture of a samurai, which was shown in a Dallas gallery. He maintained his rowing skills with the Dallas Rowing Club until his death.

Pat was an active Princeton alum, serving as an interviewer in the Alumni Schools Committee and was delighted when his son Ian ’12 followed in his footsteps to Princeton.

Pat is survived by sons Ian, Brendan and his wife Serina, and Aidan; and his sister, Meredith MacKenzie-Lamb.