John James McEvoy - 2008 St. Patrick's Parade Grand Marshal

John James McEvoy, one of Allegheny County's most dedicated Hibernians, will be Grand Marshal of the 2008 St. Patrick's Day Parade March 15 in Pittsburgh.

The honor was voted upon by a majority of the directors of the Irish Society for Education and Charity, Inc. of Pittsburgh, parent organization of the parade committee, according to Jim Green, parade chairman, former president of the Pennsylvania A.O.H. and current vice president of the Allegheny County A.O.H.

The selection of McEvoy was announced at a meeting of the St. Patrick's Day Parade committee Feb. 5.

McEvoy, who will turn 82 on March 29, is a native of Pittsburgh's South Side Slopes. He has been a Hibernian for three decades. He was the 1995 Allegheny County Hibernian of the Year and was granted the honor of "life membership" by the A.O.H. national board in 2006.

His formal education included his study of electrical engineering at Allegheny Technical Institute and Pennsylvania State University and mechanical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh before getting his degree in business administration and technical writing at Carnegie Mellon University.

McEvoy joined Hagan Chemicals & Controls, Inc., in 1942 but interrupted his civilian work to join the U.S. Army Air Corps (1943-45) and its Aviation Cadet Program.

After the war, he returned to Hagan, which was spun off to Westinghouse Electric Corp. in 1967 and from which he retired after 43 years in 1985.

In 1951 he married the former Catherine (Kay) Obeldobel, by whom he had a daughter and three sons.

His many activities in the early years included chairing Westinghouse family picnics and Christmas parties for 30 years and being a scoutmaster.

McEvoy is a member of A.O.H. Division 9 (the Oakland Irish), the Irish American Unity Conference, the Irish Society for Education & Charity, Inc., the Knights of Equity, the Italian Sons and Daughters of America, the Regina Elena Beneficial Association, the Loyal Order of Moose, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and the Teutonia Maennerchor.

Within the A.O.H., he's Financial Secretary of Division 9, Recording Secretary of Allegheny County, Secretary of the St. Patrick's Day Parade committee, Sentinel of the Pennsylvania A.O.H. State Board and a Director on the Board of the Irish Society of Education & Charities, Inc.