Legend of South Side Theater Community, Patricia Haynes, Dies At 74

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — A long time theater director and teacher at Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School, Patricia A. Haynes (Walsh) died June 26. She was 74.

Haynes, who resided in Evergreen Park, directed over 100 plays and musicals at McAuley where she served for 40 years. She was well known for her large scale musical productions and casting people of all ages making her a legend in the South Side theater community.

Along with her late husband, Donald, Haynes founded the 99th Street Summer Theatre Festival where she was managing director for 36 years. Haynes also founded the “Kids Kamp” for youth ages 5-14 that ran for many years as part of the 99th Street summer programming.

During her career Haynes garnered many awards, including the Mother McAuley High School-Heart of the School Award (1999-2000), Beverly Arts Center-Arts Vanguard Award (2023), Illinois Theatre Association-Award of Honor for Outstanding Contributions (2004), Award of Excellence in Secondary School Theatre (2015), the 2024 Anne Thurman Mentorship Award for exemplary contributions to theater in Illinois.

Following her retirement from McAuley, Haynes started a theater program at St. Linus School in Oak Lawn, directing and producing a Christmas pageant, said principal Margaret Hayes, who has known Haynes since she was 15 performing in the 99th Street Summer program.

“She made everybody feel like they belonged,” Hayes said. “She made you feel like you were part of something. Her productions were just unbelievable.”

Based on the success of the first St. Linus Christmas pageant, performed by the third and fourth grades, Haynes moved on to produce the school’s first musical – “Godspell” – for grades 5-8.

One year, after a particularly large third and fourth grade class for the Christmas pageant, Hayes suggested to Haynes that they have just have a lot of extras on stage as shepherds, angels and sheep.

“Pat rewrote the script so more kids could have lines,” Hayes said. “She coordinated all the moving pieces with parent volunteers. She wanted every kid to experience the arts.”

Visitation will take place Monday, July 1, from 3 to 8 p.m. at Curley Funeral Home, 6116 W. 111th St., Chicago Ridge. A 9:30 a.m. funeral Mass is planned for Tuesday, July 2, at St. Linus Church, 10300 S. Lawler Ave., Oak Lawn. Interment will be at Resurrection Cemetery, Romeoville.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Haynes’ name to St. Linus School to support the theater program she helped establish. Read more