Mary Forde to March as Aide in NYC Parade

By Katie McFadden

Tuesday, March 17, is officially St. Patrick’s Day and the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be marching down Fifth Avenue starting at 44th Street at 11 a.m. Among the honorees is Broad Channel’s own Mary Forde, this year’s Queens Aide to the Grand Marshal.

Last year, Rockaway’s own Queens (Rockaway) St. Patrick’s Day Parade president Mike Benn led the big NYC parade as grand marshal. This year, that honor goes to Robert James “Bob” McCann, but he will be surrounded by 17 aides representing various areas and organizations, and Mary Forde will be representing Queens.

According to her bio shared by the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, Forde is the daughter of Anne (née Sammon) and the late Liam Forde, who hailed from County Mayo. She is the granddaughter of the late Anne (née Fitzpatrick) of Co. Cavan and Daniel Sammon of Co. Clare, as well as Mary (née Moyles) and Patrick Forde. Mary is the sister to Patrick (Maria), Anne and William (Kristen), and the proud aunt to Ashley, Patrick and Ava. Ms. Forde is the fiancée of Matthew Walsh.

A lifelong resident of Broad Channel, Forde is an active parishioner of St. Virgilius Church. Mary completed her grade school education at St. Virgilius School and attended Beach Channel High School before obtaining her bachelor’s degree from Mount Saint Mary College, NY. She also earned two graduate degrees from St. Joseph’s College in Brooklyn, including a Master of Science in Organizational Management and an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA).

Forde serves as an Assistant VP and Branch Manager at Ridgewood Savings Bank, for the past 26 years. She has demonstrated a strong commitment to community service, participating in various charities, the Cystic Fibrosis and Special Olympics plunges.

Forde became a member of Division 25 of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians in 2007, served as treasurer from 2009 – 2023, and has held the position of Queens County LAOH Treasurer since 2013. She has served as the Corresponding Secretary for the Queens County St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Cultural Committee and served as a Deputy Grand Marshal in 2019.

From her earliest memories of dance and music lessons with Bernadette, JoAnn, and the late Eileen Buckley, to Saturday night ceilis at St. Francis de Sales with St. Brendan’s Gaelic Society, to her ongoing LAOH work, Forde has remained deeply committed to keeping Irish culture and tradition alive in Queens. She remains dedicated to the preservation of Irish culture and traditions. She expresses her gratitude to her extensive Irish family, friends, LAOH sisters, AOH brothers, and her colleagues at Ridgewood Savings Bank for their unwavering support in nurturing her strong Irish heritage.

Congratulations, Mary Forde!

For more information about the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade, see: www.nycstpatricksparade.org

 Photo from the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee.