Brother Patrick Lally, F.M.S., a member of the Marist Brothers of the Schools for 61 years, died Dec. 22 at St. Francis Hospital, Manhasset, L.I. He was 81.

Born in the Bronx, he lived in Galway, Ireland, for a number of years during his childhood before entering the Marist Juniorate in Esopus, N.Y., in 1952. He became a postulant with the Marist Brothers in 1954 and entered the Marist Brothers Novitiate at Tyngsboro, Mass., in 1955. He professed final vows in 1961.

He began his ministry as a cook at Esopus in 1959, and then went on to his first teaching assignment at St. Helena H.S., Bronx, 1961. He served for many years as a teacher and coach at Christ the King H.S., Middle Village, 1962-63; Instituto Mexico, 1963-64; Marist H.S., Bayonne, N.J., 1965-66; Archbishop Molloy H.S., Briarwood, 1966-77, and St. Mary’s H.S., Manhasset. 1982-95.

He also served in administration at St. Joseph Academy in Brownsville, Texas, 1977-82, and was president of Guadalupe Middle School, Brownsville, in 2007. He served as plant manager of Archbishop Molloy H.S. from 1995 until his retirement in 2013.

He completed his religious and academic studies at Marist College, Poughkeepsie, and earned a master’s degree in Spanish from Fordham University in 1963.

Burial was at the Marist Brothers Cemetery in Esopus.