Patrick Gene “Doc” McNulty hung up his last wrench and called it a day on May 16, 2026, at the age of 81. Pat was born on St. Patrick’s Day to Walt and Hilda McNulty in Brock, Nebraska, where he grew up captaining his own adventures as an only child.

A varsity athlete in high school, he later graduated from the University of Nebraska with honors. During that time, he met and married Rita Knisely from Nebraska City. They started a family while moving to the suburbs of Chicago, where Pat was offered a job as a corporate accountant.

It was there that he actively engaged with his lifelong passion for automobiles and motorcycles. He restored vintage British sports cars and stripped a brand-new Harley-Davidson Roadster, turning it into a chopper straight out of “Easy Rider.”

Pat regularly attended car shows and races of all sorts, from drag races and Can-Am to NASCAR and the Indy 500. The roar of an engine was music to his ears.

He went on to meet and marry Diane Holbrook of Chicago, also welcoming Diane’s two daughters into his life. By this time, he’d become a master of radio-controlled cars, racing them weekly and earning a sponsorship from his local hobby shop.

From Chicago he migrated to northern California, finally landing his dream job in retirement: working at a Harley-Davidson dealership. This is where he earned the nickname “Doc” from his gang of motorcycle enthusiasts.

Pat found there was nothing more enjoyable than touring around on scenic two-lane highways—so much so that (per his request) some of his ashes are scattered along Highway 36 near the Redwood Forest.

In California, Pat met Debra Carter, who became a trusted friend and companion. They would later move to Houston, where he would wind down his final years and transform into a charming old man with great stories.

Pat’s life went from humble beginnings in Nebraska to pursuing the American dream in the suburbs of Chicago; he would go on to reinvent himself in Northern California and finally make a soft landing in Texas.

Survivors include Debra Carter, his best friend, confidante, and caretaker during his final years. Pat is also survived by his former wives Rita and Diane, his son Rick, daughter Susan, and stepdaughters Theresa and Julia, in addition to several grandchildren.