Wing Luke Celebrates St. Patrick's Day

Its St Patrick’s Day and from our archives we have this image of Wing Luke at the 1963 Friendly Sons of St Patrick celebration at the Olympic Hotel. The organization is now the Society of Friends of St Patrick.

Wing is pictured with (from left) Catholic Archbishop Thomas Connolly, Friendly Sons President-Emeritus Pat Barry, and well-known Tenor Bob McGrath. Though Wing did not drink he was fond of celebrating St Patrick’s Day, and according to his sister Bettie “but he absolutely relished singing Irish ballads around the piano, or with whatever musicians were playing that night.”Interestingly that year St Pat’s Day was on a Sunday when the taverns were closed so this event is actually the night before on March 16th.