Beloved business leader B. Pat O'Rourke dies at 81 after a long illness

When B. Pat O’Rourke retired, his hometown paper called him possibly ‘the most beloved man in Lee County government.’

As journalistic institutions must, the paper was being cautious. But to anyone who knew him, there was no doubt: O'Rourke was the most beloved man in Lee County government – and quite likely in the wider world of human service in Southwest Florida. Banker Robbie Roepstorff once characterized him as "the wind beneath so many community leaders’ wings.”

Bernard Patrick O’Rourke died at 81 earlier this month after a long fight with cancer. A tall, twinkly-eyed hugger, he worked officially for decades as a Lee County business development specialist, and unofficially as an ambassador and matchmaker for area concerns. His business philosophy was eminently humane: “I try to have a feeling of empathy with people I work with, to see how I can be of service to them in some way."

O'Rourke will be celebrated at a 4:30 p.m. Nov. 14 memorial at Fort Myers’ Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre.

The site is fitting. It’s where in April, O’Rourke presented a record-breaking fundraiser for Lee County’s Pace Center for Girls: the annual Grande Dames Tea, which honors outstanding women. One of those was his mother, Helen, who earned the title a decade earlier.

O’Rourke’s friends included local luminaries and ordinary folk he made feel as special as any celebrity, recalls Susan Bennett, a Fort Myers marketing and public relations professional whose career intersected O’Rourke’s.

When his retirement was announced at 2016’s Industry Appreciation Awards, he got a standing invitation from the crowd, which included Horizon Foundation President Denis Noah, who told The News-Press “Everybody in the business community knows B. Pat … (He) cares so much and that feeling is reciprocated. He’s just a great guy.”

The ovation left O'Rourke on the verge of tears, but he held it together, the paper reported. “When everyone stood up, it was just something to see for me,” he said. “You just don’t think people think of you that way sometimes,” and he reflected on the hundreds of people he considered his colleagues over the years. “Sometimes people look at companies as a thing, but they’re people,” he said.

'I don’t shake many hands anymore' Beloved 'B. Pat' retires after 20 years with Lee County

It was actually the second time O’Rourke had retired; the first was from a regional chamber of commerce in the Washington, D.C.-area, where he spent much of his life. His mom and father Barney both worked at the Pentagon.

O’Rourke attended Catholic schools for 12 years. “He was proud of that, as he should be,” recalled Maureen Green, who’d known him more than three decades. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in from Kentucky's Morehead State University, then went to work as a reporter/photographer for the Indianapolis-Star News, and was often seen with his trusty camera even after he'd moved on to the nonprofit world.

O'Rourke moved through a series of high-level fundraising jobs, including development director at the Indiana Heart Association, director of development for Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia; and assistant director of development at Georgetown University.

He was a dedicated philanthropist, helping out United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties, Pace Center for Girls, Lee, Valerie’s House and Gulf Coast Humane Society and Rotary. He was named an honorary deputy by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and volunteered in several of its programs including the Sheriff’s Youth Activities League, Teen Driver Challenge and the Animal Cruelty Task Force.

It was all genuine. "B Pat cared about everyone he met. He always went the extra mile in everything he did," said United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties President and CEO Jeannine Joy. "He was the guy who would send you flowers to brighten your day, he was the philanthropist that would make an organization’s wildest dream come true, and he was the volunteer you could always count on, even through a pandemic. When B. Pat retired, United Way gained a full-time photographer. We could always count on him to take the best pictures and post them on social media. One year, instead of just participating on one of our Fund Distribution Teams, he participated in 20 of them ... We are truly going to miss his kindness and friendship, but his legacy will live on in all of us who were fortunate enough to know him and love him."

Marc Collins, executive director of the Uncommon Friends Foundation, who hosted many at-home fundraisers, said "with . B. Pat was a “gentle giant”. It literally took meeting him one time and B. Pat was an immediate friend. We used to host many fundraisers, and celebrations for organizations at our home. "You could always count on B. Pat being there, with his camera out, and most often the first guest there. One of my most fun memories, was the last party that B. Pat attended at our house. Because my late wife, Lori was in a wheelchair, she was in her usual spot in the family room and B. Pat had his scooter. He backed in next to her and asked her if there was room in her 'parking lot' for him to join her and where was the parking meter. B. Pat had a heart of gold, and will be sorely missed."

Green's experience mirrors that of Joy and Collins. “B. Pat and I met over 30 years ago and became instant friends,” Green said. “I used to be the membership and marketing director for the Chamber of Commerce in Cape and helped facilitate the first leadership class and kept involved for years, and B. Pat was a supporter of the chamber and Rotary meetings."

The friendship continued once O'Rourke moved to Cypress Cove, she said. "I was blessed to spend time with him this past year ... He and my father-in-law were on the same floor. My husband, Will Prather, visited him and his own Dad every morning and after work. Will arranged for the Cypress Cove van to bring him to this past year’s Pace event, Grande Dames Tea. He knew he wanted to gift his money to charities while still alive, and found great joy in giving."

Then, Green said, "B. Pat surprised us all two months ago at the Leadership Cape Coral class kick-off, where alumni were invited. He showed up and lit up the room," she said. "I'm so grateful I sat with him that evening and visited one last time."

His pal Bennett once offered O'Rourke some words of wisdom, she recalled. "He always reminded me of the advice I gave to him," she said: "Stay involved and you’ll never be bored."

He took it to heart many times over, she said. "What a wonderful world it would be if we could all be like B. Pat."

The community is invited to attend B. Pat O'Rourke's celebration of life and a reception will follow. For planning purposes, RSVPs are kindly requested by Nov. 10: horizoncouncilfoundation.com/BPat

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Southwest Florida's B. Pat O'Rourke dies at 81 after a long illness.