EASTON, Pa. — For Patty McGinley, the annual Peace Candle lighting in downtown Easton wasn’t just a community tradition, but a family pilgrimage that defined decades of her life and those of her children.
“It doesn’t matter the temperature, the weather, we still came down and saw this candle,” said Missy McGinley, recalling how the family never missed the event, even citing one year when they simply turned the corner, watched it light, and returned to their car in freezing temperatures. “We never missed it. That was the point.”
Patty McGinley, 71, of Tatamy, died Oct. 8 after a six-year battle with cancer. Her daughters, Missy and Rachael McGinley, remember a woman whose love for Easton transformed from an annual tradition into dedicated volunteerism that spanned more than a decade.
Born and raised in Phillipsburg, N.J., Patty crossed the river to Easton long before she became one of its most enthusiastic volunteers. In 2009, she and Missy attended a jazz event downtown, curious about the city’s revitalization efforts.
“We knew that it was volunteer-based,” Missy said. “And I said, ‘Hey, you know, I wonder how we can get involved, maybe doing the Peace Candle.'”
That simple question to an Easton Main Street Initiative volunteer led them to Kim Kmetz, then the Main Street manager. Soon after, Missy joined the planning committee, and Patty began what would become years of service to downtown Easton.
“She loved being around people,” Rachael said. “She was just such a happy person.”
Patty became a familiar presence at Easton’s festivals and celebrations, volunteering at Garlic Fest and Bacon Fest, where she sold garlic and bacon-garlic knots as fundraisers. She managed carriage rides during holiday events and once even helped roast chestnuts for a fundraiser for Easton Main Street Initiative.
Perhaps most meaningful was Patty’s tradition with Rachael of volunteering together one night each December at the Winter Village information hut, selling ornaments and merchandise while sipping hot chocolate from Terra Cafe.
“The two of us would spend a couple hours and just sit there and just volunteer,” Rachael said. “It was great.”
Despite her devotion to Easton, Patty maintained fierce loyalty to her Phillipsburg roots with arguably the most notable exception.
“The only time that she didn’t like Easton is during Thanksgiving,” Missy said, referring to the annual Phillipsburg-Easton rivalry football game. “She was diehard Phillipsburg.”
A 1972 graduate of Phillipsburg High School, Patty helped plan her 50th class reunion in 2022. Her daughters believe she never pumped her own gas —a true Jersey tradition —and proudly declared that the Statue of Liberty was technically both a lighthouse and part of New Jersey.
“She was a Jersey lifer. True Jersey girl,” Missy said.
Patty’s passion for lighthouses led her to complete the New Jersey Lighthouse Challenge twice, visiting every lighthouse in the state. Her home was decorated with lighthouse collections year-round, though snowflakes took over during the Christmas season, which extended well into February as she lingered over taking down her always-real Christmas tree.
Every Christmas Eve, Patty carried on the family tradition started by her Italian grandparents of serving meatball sandwiches, and everyone received new pajamas and ornaments for the tree. The ritual continued even as her children reached adulthood.
“I’m 46 years old. Like, this has been my entire life,” Missy said. “We got new PJs and ornaments last year.”
This year’s Peace Candle lighting will carry special significance. Through the Light a Night program, which helps fund the candle’s operation throughout the season, Patty’s daughters have chosen to dedicate the Peace Candle lighting night itself in her honor.
“We decided this was important to us and to her,” Rachael said. “We always wanted to light the candle.”
The sisters had planned to surprise their mother with the dedication, but she passed away before they could share the news.
“We were going to tell her when we saw her next,” Missy said. “And then, unfortunately, she passed before we got a chance to tell her.”
The dedication seems fitting for a woman whose volunteer spirit and infectious enthusiasm helped make downtown Easton’s events warmer and more welcoming.
“She always wanted to do everything,” Rachael said. “She was so open to any event.”
For the McGinley sisters, lighthouses will forever evoke their mother’s memory. Patty was cremated in a blue lighthouse urn, a perfect symbol for a woman who guided others toward community connection and holiday joy.
In addition to Missy and Rachael, both of Palmer Township, Patty is survived by a son, Ryan of Tatamy and his fiancée, Julie Griner; a brother, Wayne and his wife Cynthia of Bethlehem; and a grandson, Aaron McGinley of Allentown.
This December, when the Peace Candle lights up Center Square, it will shine a little brighter in memory of a devoted volunteer who never missed a lighting, the woman who helped transform Easton’s downtown into a place that felt like home for so many.
