Meet Patrick
Patrick McDermott grew up on Taylor Street in Quincy with his younger brother Chris. Through his parents, Charlie and Patricia, Patrick learned the values of hard work, commitment and leadership by taking initiative and setting an example.
Throughout his childhood, Patrick worked hard, balancing both choir and academics at Boston Archdiocesan Choir School, and then moving on to attend BC High.
Without a choir to pursue his musical talent at BC High, Patrick turned to sports. When the experience of the other students did not allow him to make the team, Patrick did not let that discourage him… he took the lead and created his own intramural football team.
Attending Boston College, Patrick again found his musical outlet in the Boston College Marching Band and several other bands and musical organizations as he pursued his degree in political science and communications, graduating in 1991.
Tragically, as a junior at BC, Patrick lost his Mother to cancer. The loss of his mother sparked Patrick’s 29-year commitment to the Pan Mass Challenge, an annual bike race which has raised over $500 million for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
A meeting with former Representative and Sheriff Mike Belotti at the North Quincy Knights of Columbus in 1991 set Patrick on his path of politics and public service.
After campaigning for Belotti for the Democratic State Committee slot and immediately thereafter for the House of Representatives, Pat knew that he wanted to work in politics and government.
Belotti did not have the budget for a second aide, but Patrick knew he wanted the experience of working in the State House, so he came up with a plan. For the next year, Patrick worked as a Legislative Aide for no salary, paying his bills with a job at a small advertising and marketing firm in between his state house duties.
He went on to work for Representative John Rogers and Senator Michael Morrissey. While working for Senator Morrissey, Patrick decided that he wanted to do more to serve the people of Quincy, and threw his hat in the ring for city council. In 1995, he ran for and was elected to represent the people of Ward 3 on the Quincy City Council.
While simultaneously attending and graduating from Suffolk Law School, Patrick served three terms as Councilor, where he focused on, among other things, public safety, emphasizing the need for improvements and advocating for community policing and investments in the city’s emergency response system.
In 2002, the opportunity arose to run for Norfolk County Register of Probate. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Patrick pushed aside the “underdog” label, working hard to earn the respect and the vote of residents across Norfolk County. That focus and unrelenting work ethic paid off with Patrick winning the election.
During his early years as Register, Pat also became a leader in the Norfolk County Bar Association becoming it’s President from 2012 to 2013.
That same commitment and initiative Patrick showed in his childhood and throughout his professional/political life is at the core of who he is today. Never one to sit on the sidelines, Patrick rolls up his sleeves to find solutions.
As Register of Probate, Patrick has focused on building efficiencies in the court, using strategic planning and best management practices, creating innovative programs which revolve around access to justice, and a focus on family crisis issues such as opioid addiction, domestic violence, parental alienation, grandparents raising grandchildren, adoption advocacy, children in crisis, along with numerous others.
Patrick is a member and 3-time Past Grand Knight at the Greater Quincy Knights of Columbus, a member of the Quincy Lodge of Elks, the Quincy Chamber of Commerce and the Massachusetts Bar Association…and is currently the President of the Quincy Rotary Club.
He and his wife Tracy live in Quincy with their children, Alana and Adam.