Patrick Henry Quinn

Patrick Henry Quinn, age 70, born to Thomas H. Quinn and Lois Quinn (DiSaia) and raised in West Warwick, Rhode Island, passed away on July 31, 2026, in Arlington, Virginia, surrounded by his loved ones.

A graduate of St. Mark’s School in Southboro, Massachusetts, and then the University of Virginia, Patrick devoted his professional career to environmental policy in Washington, D.C. He began his career in the Senate working for Senator John Chafee of Rhode Island. He continued as a political appointee at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for both Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, where he had one of his greatest career accomplishments: passing the bipartisan 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act. He later went on to work in the private sector before forming his own firm, The Accord Group, in 1997. While Patrick’s practice spanned a wide range of topics, including pesticide and antimicrobial policy, he was most passionate when working on transportation issues.

Building on his experience forged during the passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, he helped diverse stakeholders work together to address air pollution. Patrick was a committed advocate for commonsense measures to address climate change and particularly greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty trucks.

Although he loved his work and was a successful advocate, he appreciated most the relationships and friendships he built along the way. He had a way of making everyone in the room feel important…always asking questions, listening carefully, and caring about the answers.

A lifelong, dedicated sports fan, Patrick’s loyalty to UVA athletics, the Yankees, and the Giants held no bounds. No matter if the Cavaliers were having a good season or not, PQ could be found back in his old stomping grounds in Charlottesville, Virginia, cheering his favorite collegiate team on. As for the Giants… safe to say he observed that continuing tragedy from the comfort of his couch. Patrick’s brilliant sense of humor was often the gold standard in most rooms he was in and is why we attempt to honor it with that weak jab on the Giants.

Surpassing his passion for work and sports, Patrick was a loving son, brother, partner, father and friend. The joy he got from his lifelong relationships was always the essence of his purpose and perseverance through all of life’s celebrations and challenges. His booming laugh, twinkling eyes, and television voice will be missed by everyone who knew him.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be designated to cancer research in which he cared deeply: the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center for the Merkel Cell Carcinoma Collaborative (MC3). Memorials can be made online at mc3institute.uw.edu/giving or mailed to Fred Hutch, 1100 Fairview Ave N. Mail Stop LG-400, Seattle, WA 98108. Please make sure to include Patrick Quinn’s name when sending in the donation.

A service to celebrate and honor Patrick will be held on Friday, September 18 at 1:00pm at St. John’s, Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C.

Patrick is survived by his loving partner, Kari Pearson Mavian; his former wife, Becky Broers Quinn and their daughter, Eliza Quinn; his sisters, Cristiana Quinn and Fredrika Quinn; and his three brothers, Martin Quinn (Maria), Thomas H. Quinn, Jr. (Constance), and Ralph Quinn (Connie.)