Pat McVey, owner of Maggie O’Brien’s, found murdered in his car

$56,600 reward offered for information

Labor has lost a dear friend.

Pat McVey, owner of the popular and all union Maggie O’Brien’s Restaurant & Irish Pub, was found shot to death in his Ford Explorer Nov. 9 on southbound Interstate 55 near Carondelet Park. He was slumped behind the wheel. Police were treating the case as a homicide.

“We’re just devastated,” McVey’s brother, Hugh McVey, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “We’re just trying to wrap our heads around it. We don’t know what happened.”

Hugh McVey is the retired president of the Missouri AFL-CIO.

Pat McVey, 57, co-owned Maggie O’Brien’s, open since 1979, with his brother Eddie. It has long been a favorite caterer of union events both in and away from the restaurant.

“What a decent man, a hard working guy that everyone loved,” said Don Brown, business manager of Bricklayers Local 1. The union’s offices are located above Maggie O’Brien’s, located at 2000 Market Street in St. Louis, just west of Union Station downtown.

“He’s really going to be missed,” Brown added with emphasis. “I’ve known him for 25 years and he’s never had an enemy. I never heard him say a bad word about anyone.”

A $56,600 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest in the case. The St. Louis Labor Council, the Missouri AFL-CIO, the St. Louis Building & Construction Trades Council and the St. Louis Port Council have donated a combined $11,500 toward the reward. Authorities asked anyone with information about McVey’s death to contact CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477. Tipsters can remain anonymous and still claim the reward.

SURVIVORS, FUNERAL MASS AND MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Pat McVey is survived by his beloved wife Marianne, children Maggie (Kevin) Dineen and Michael (Renee) McVey, parents Hugh Bob and Rosemary McVey, siblings Terry (Ed) Dolan, Hugh (Peggy) McVey, Mike (Fran) McVey, Mary Helen McVey, Peggy McVey, Katie (Paul) Rebello, Jack (Maureen) McVey, Brigid (Mark) Espinosa, Ann (Tom) Toney and Eddie McVey, mother-in law Ellie Klobe brother-in-law of Bob (Tina), Greg (April) and Mike (Denise) Klobe, and was as dear uncle, great-uncle, nephew, cousin and friend to many.

A funeral was held at Kutis Affton Chapel on Nov. 16, followed by Mass at Seven Holy Founders Church and interment Resurrection Cemetery.

The family has requested contributions to Gene Slay’s Boys and Girls Clubs of St. Louis or the charity of your choice.

*A previous version of this story incorrectly reported the amount donated by the Labor community. It has since been updated.