Pat was born in Arcola on September 26, 1940, the second son of Tom and Mary Cunningham Monahan. He graduated from the Arcola school system in 1958, the University of Notre Dame (B.S. Chemical Engineering, 1962) and the University of Chicago (M.B.A. Marketing, 1964). He worked for the Sandia Corporation in Albuquerque, New Mexico, IBM Corporation in Chicago and Citizens National Bank Data Center in Decatur before joining the Monahan Company in 1974. In 2010 he formed Monahan Partners from the division of The Thomas Monahan Company he was running.

Pat had a busy high school career. He was Junior Class President, Student Council President, editor of the Torch and student newspaper, was in both class plays and received the American Legion award. As a four-year football and basketball player, he earned All Conference honors on the undefeated ’57 conference champion football team, as well as All Conference and All Area in basketball. The 1957-58 basketball team, coached by Lou Baker, was 27-3, making them the winningest team in Arcola history.

At Notre Dame, Pat was president of the student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Central Illinois Club. While at the University of Chicago, he was president of his dorm.

Pat has been very active in the Arcola community. He helped form the TIF district and was involved in improvements to the school, library, parks, downtown and many businesses. He served twelve years on the Arcola Board of Education, including nine as president, two years as Chamber of Commerce President and as chairman of both the Economic Development and the TIF Advisory Committee for over twenty years. Pat was instrumental in bringing the Industrial Park to Arcola and filling it with good businesses and jobs. He is credited with giving his hometown the name “Amazing Arcola”. He, along with others, helped save the Arcola Depot and the Arcola Hotel building, add a swimming pool to Moore Park, bring the Hippie Memorial back to town, start the Amish Interpretive Center, secure two billboards on I-57, acquire new lights for downtown buildings, build and then resurface tennis courts and bring a pharmacy back to town. He assisted in eleven successful Class of ’58 reunions. Pat is proud of his role in welcoming the Hispanic population to Arcola.

Pat still found time to be the chairman of the Broom Corn Festival beer tent for over twenty-five years, co-found the World Famous Lawn Rangers and journey with them to bowl parades in Phoenix and San Diego, as well as parades in Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Indianapolis and over 200 appearances in local towns and festivals. He lured Pulitzer Prize winner Dave Barry to town to march with the Rangers, resulting in several nationally published columns about Arcola. Pat secured a coveted spot in the 2009 Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C., for the Rangers and later wrote a book about the Lawn Rangers that sold over 2,000 copies.

Pat is a former altar boy, 30-year lector and lifetime member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. He owns six patents for cleaning tools. In 2008, along with his three brothers, Pat was Grand Marshal for the Broom Corn Festival. He served on the Lake Land College Foundation Board for six years and received their Crystal Swan Award in 2012.

Pat might be best known for his wit and sense of humor. He has been married to his wife, Annie, for 50 years and considers his nine children, Margaret, Mike, Kate, Colleen, Dan, Jim, Dave, Kevin and Julie, his greatest blessings. Pat and Annie also have fourteen grandchildren.