PA Legionnaires elected new Department Commander for 2025 to 2026
PATRICK A. LOVE DEPARTMENT COMMANDER 2025-2026
Patrick was born in Philadelphia to Jack and Annafay Love, the second of four boys and one girl. Growing up in a close-knit family, Patrick’s father, a Korean War veteran and Commander of American Legion Post 738, played a pivotal role in shaping Patrick’s sense of duty and community involvement. In the 1960’s and early 1970’s, Patrick was an active member of The American Legion Sons, following in his father’s footsteps.
Patrick attended Catholic grade school before moving on to public high school at Frankford High in Philadelphia. After graduation, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corp, completing boot camp at Paris Island. Patrick served as an Audio-Visual expert, working for The Basic School in Quantico and later for the G-3 Training department while stationed at Camp Lejeune.
After leaving the Marine Corps., Patrick’s career journey took several paths. He worked as a security officer for the Bicentennial celebration and served as a night supervisor for security at Frankford Torresdale Hospital. In his next role, Patrick worked as a merchandiser for Thrift Drug, where he met his future wife, JoAnn. The couple went on to marry and have spent 45 years together. Patrick then pursued an apprenticeship at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard (PNSY) as a boilermaker mechanic.
He later became a Habitability Coordinator during the Shipboard Life Extension Program (SLEP), a role that introduced him to Past Department Commander Jim Vollrath.
Patrick’s commitment to service did not end there. He joined the City of Philadelphia’s civil service as a communications technician, eventually rising to the position of the city’s Communications Chief before retiring. All his life, Patrick has been deeply involved in The American Legion.
Over his 37 years of membership, he held every position at his local post, including several terms as post Commander. He later moved into the district, serving as Sergeant-at-Arms, and eventually became the District Commander from 2015 to 2017.
In 2017-2018, he was elected County Commander for Philadelphia. Before being elected Department Commander, Patrick was the Eastern Vice Commander of Pennsylvania.
Family is always at the heart of Patrick’s life. He and JoAnn raised two children: Patrick Jr., a Philadelphia police officer married to Dana, a nurse at Temple Hospital in Philadelphia, with three daughters – Kendall, Liliana, and Brielle; and Elizabeth, who graduated from LaSalle University and worked as a social worker before becoming a stay-at-home mom to Isabel (Izzy) and her brother, Miles. Elizabeth is engaged to Tom Higgins, an IT infrastructure manager for Northeast Building Products.
