Dr. Patrick A. L. Cady, “Poppie” age 84, Maple Plain, MN. October 11, 2025

In a family known for legendary (lengthy) MN Goodbyes, Pat set a record which allowed for friends and family to arrive from WY, CO, and MI to share a last laugh, final hug and a forever ‘I Love You’ before he took his last breath on the morning of Oct 11th.

Patrick was born March 14, 1941 in Mpls, MN to parents Dr. Lawrence “Larry” Cady and Alvina “Esther” (Frommes) Cady. Pat and his younger brothers, Tim and Mike grew up near the U of MN; spending summers at Cragun’s Resort on Gull Lake and the 4T Guest Ranch in Nemo, S. Dakota. Pat graduated from De La Salle High School, and the U of MN, before practicing dentistry in S. Mpls for 34 years.

Patrick saw the good in people and when one patient couldn’t pay for needed dental care he accepted with gratitude an oil painting from her as payment. It didn’t matter that it didn’t fit the décor, her artwork hung on the wall for years.

Patrick met the love of his life, his wife Patty and for nearly 50 years they shared a once in a lifetime love, unique sense of humor, exquisite appreciation for nature, and classical music. Together they shared a love of horses, sailing, motorcycles and wide-open spaces with rolling ridges where the soft-hearted cowboy met his match with his cowgirl by his side.

While most people subscribe to the age-old wisdom of the idiom, “You can’t fit a square peg in a round hole.”  Patrick wasn’t like most people, far from it. He was both wise AND intelligent.

Patrick found ironic delight in carrying his tattered MENSA card in his wallet, just for his own fun. Ironic because he didn’t put much value into this measurement of IQ. What he did value was curiosity, heart and connection with others and with nature. He would assert that IQ was “just a number” it didn’t determine what you did or didn’t, could or couldn’t necessarily achieve in life.

So of course, it stood to reason that a dentist and a collection of Time/Life “How To” books could singlehandedly design and build a unique NONAGON (9-sided) cabin. The legacy he leaves is espoused in the physical structure of “The Cabin that Poppie Built,” a symbol that embodies who he was and what he believed in. Nature. Exploring a Dream. Resilience. And if there was one single trait it would be Curiosity. From his immense and never waning curiosity Patrick learned about all of life. 

The mantra he followed was, “Go as far as you can see, and from there you can see further.” It was especially significant on a trip to the BWCA when he lost his canoe paddle. He ended up crafting one from driftwood and rope. A heavy and less than ideal replacement, but a way to get the job done. He would focus on a point in the distance and that was his goal. Once there he would select a new object in the distance, the next goal. He shared his wisdom with family although he was beyond humble and didn’t recognize the value of these nuggets of gold sage advice.

He was a “Yes-Man” as his grandchildren would note. He never failed to surprise them by answering a question they NEVER thought would be met with a yes. Asking for a toy gun (verboten by his daughter) … yes! Driving his truck at age 12 … yes! Meeting a challenge to swallow a fish eyeball on a Wyatt, Miles and Cady solo weekend at the cabin with Poppie … yes!

He was a prolific teacher without realizing it and shared his love of learning with all. From teaching his girls the anatomy of a bird who’d had the misfortune of flying into a window, to the anatomy of a fish for his grandchildren (demonstrating that the fish’s heart, if put in salt water would continue to beat), to teaching himself how to sew replacement cushions for his sailboat and dresses for his girls. Patrick was the best girl dad there ever was and was lightyear’s ahead of his time in how he showed up as a father for his girls.

If it was a Tuesday night, you could find Pat and Nicky at dinner together—sharing unconditional love and support, parenting through the highs and lows of life. Always with the reassuring message that we all do the best we can with what we know at the time. Nicky and her dad were like the US Mail of old, not rain nor sleet nor snow got in the way of their Tuesday night commitments.

Patrick was hard on himself as a dad, sharing he wished he could’ve “done better” yet not realizing that for his daughter, Heather being a perfectly imperfect dad was exactly what she needed to find value in her own ‘shortcomings’ as a parent. As she liked to tell him, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” –Sir Isaac Newton.

There was no better place for two little girls than high atop the shoulders of their dad, Patrick.

With Mike Bedford and Jimmy Clark, Poppie had the gift of “sons”-in-law. Each had a special place in his heart as evidenced in some of the last words spoken that, “Mike could fix it” and “Jimmy will know what to do.”

Poppie had a strong connection with each of his 3 grandchildren. Wyatt, the oldest with an uncanny physical resemblance to him from young boy to young man. Comparing photos at similar ages was mind-blowing; even more remarkable was their insatiable curiosity for how things worked mechanically and the why behind it. With Miles Patrick the ‘middle child’ Patrick not only shared a name, but they shared a wit and sense of humor that was lost on most others. “Still waters run deep,” with Miles, and Poppie had the capacity to go deep with him, a shared love of nature, reflections on life, it was almost like they could have some conversations through osmosis, not many words needed to be spoken to understand one another. And then there was Cady, a real live baby doll lovingly referred to as “Little Miss Sunshine” a breath of fresh air and independence. A young girl who had grown into a wise and adventurous young woman. Patrick was proud of the independent women in his lineage (most notably Elizabeth Cady Stanton) and he took special pride in his granddaughter who both carries on the family name and his love of the Big Island of Hawaii.

It was in Hawaii, where Patrick found great joy as a “Reef Teach” volunteer with The Kohala Center on the Big Island. With compassion Patrick helped educate tourists about the ways they can respectfully engage with Kahalu’u and help protect endangered coral reefs and sea-life.

If you would like to donate, in Patrick’s honor, to help make a difference please specify the “Reef Teach” program. 

A Celebration of Life will be held on 6/26/26 from 2:30-7:30 pm at “The Mike Tai”, 6025 Mill St., Excelsior, MN 55331

Until we find our way to one another in whatever comes next, as Pat would lovingly say at the end of every phone call, “Bye for Now”

Patrick is survived by his wife, Patty, daughters Nicole “Nicky” (Mike) Bedford and Heather (Jimmy) Clark, grandchildren Wyatt (Olivia) Clark, Miles Clark and Cady Clark, and brothers Dr. Timothy Cady and James Michael Cady as well as nieces, nephews, step-nieces and great nieces and nephews.

Thanks to all the attentive and caring staff of North Memorial Hospital! A special shout out to the amazing Kristin Babine-Dinnen, palliative nurse, one of Patrick’s formidable friends made in his last days here on Earth.