MORRIS COUNTY — Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center President Trish O’Keefe has been selected as Grand Marshal for the 2027 Saint Patrick’s Day Parade of Morris County.
A third-generation Irish American, O’Keefe is the daughter of Hank and Ruth (nee Hennessey) O’Keefe. Her Irish roots extend to County Cork on both sides of her family.
“I am incredibly honored to be chosen as the 2027 Grand Marshal of the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade,” O’Keefe said. “The parade significantly honors our Irish heritage, which has deep ties to Morris County and the surrounding region, and especially to the town of Morristown that I love, where I live and have worked for many years.”
As grand marshal, she will lead more than 3,000 marchers down South Street in Morristown on Saturday, March 13. The parade routinely draws between 50,000 and 70,000 spectators.
The Morristown parade is one of the largest in New Jersey and among the oldest in the country. Following the difficult winter of 1779 to 1780 in Jockey Hollow near Morristown, General George Washington, in recognition of the support of his Irish militiamen, gave them the day off, leading to the first Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in Morris County in 1780.
O’Keefe is a member of the Irish American Association of Northwest Jersey and has been actively involved as a parade patron and in other parade roles for more than 25 years.
Among her many honors, she was recognized in 2022 by Irish America magazine as one of the Irish Healthcare and Lifesciences 50.
“I am incredibly proud of my Irish heritage,” O’Keefe said. “I embrace the qualities of strength, perseverance, love of family, loyalty, spirituality and the ability to enjoy life.”
O’Keefe started her career as a bedside nurse 45 years ago and has dedicated her life to serving as a leader at Atlantic Health Morristown. In 2016, she was named president of the hospital and senior vice president of Atlantic Health. She also served as Atlantic Health’s chief nurse executive for several years.
For the parade committee, O’Keefe was an ideal choice to serve as the 2027 Grand Marshal.
“Trish’s extraordinary leadership, unwavering commitment to compassionate health care, and decades of dedicated service to the people of Morristown embody the very spirit of our parade — community service and pride in our heritage,” said Carl Stopper, president of the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade of Morris County Incorporated.
“This recognition is both well-deserved and deeply meaningful,” he added. “We look forward to celebrating her remarkable accomplishments as she prepares to lead the parade on Saturday, March 13.”
