Mary Pat and Kevin McCarthy
41st Annual Child of Peace Award Recipients
Forward with Compassion
Donate in Honor of Mary Pat and Kevin
Mary Pat and Kevin McCarthy are a couple whose lives exemplify how faith becomes action and how achievement becomes most meaningful when it is placed in service to others. Grounded in a shared Catholic and Jesuit tradition, they have built a legacy of leadership, generosity, and compassion. Throughout their lives, they have been guided by a simple belief: doing the right thing requires fortitude, determination, and the courage to choose what is right, even when it is difficult. That principle has shaped not only what they have accomplished, but how they have chosen to live, lead, and serve.
Their connection to Catholic Guardian Services began through a longstanding friendship with a member of the organization’s Board of Directors – one rooted in mentorship, faith, and shared values. As they learned more about Catholic Guardian’s work, they quickly recognized a deep alignment with their own lifelong commitment to children, families, and vulnerable individuals. Catholic Guardian’s mission, grounded in the Catholic faith and open to people of every background, reflects the principles that have guided their lives and philanthropy.
Family has always been at the heart of Mary Pat and Kevin’s lives. Through Christian-based adoption agencies, they welcomed all three of their children, Alex, Maggie, and Connor, from Korea as infants. Their journey to parenthood gave them a profound appreciation for the importance of stable, loving homes and a deep empathy for children whose lives are shaped by separation, transition, and uncertainty. Kevin personally traveled to Korea to bring their children home, experiences that strengthened their belief in the transformative power of family, belonging, and love. It is this deeply personal experience that creates such a meaningful connection to Catholic Guardian’s mission of foster care, family support, and permanency.
Both Mary Pat and Kevin graduated from Creighton University, and Kevin also earned an MBA from Golden Gate University. During a successful banking and finance career, he became the youngest bank vice president in his organization. At a pivotal point in their family’s life, he chose to step away from that career to devote himself fully to raising their children and supporting his family. It was a decision anchored not in convenience, but in conviction: a belief that the most important responsibilities are often the ones that receive the least recognition. Through his constant presence, guidance, and commitment to his family, Kevin demonstrated a form of leadership whose impact continues across generations.
Mary Pat is a trailblazer in business, governance, and technology. She joined KPMG in 1977, became a partner in 1987, and rose to become Vice Chair of KPMG LLP, serving in that role from 1998 through 2011. During her distinguished career, she held numerous senior leadership positions, including Executive Director of KPMG’s Audit Committee Institute, U.S. Leader of Industries and Markets, and Global Leader of the firm’s Information, Communication and Entertainment Practice.
Following her retirement from KPMG, Mary Pat continued to contribute her expertise in finance, accounting, risk management, technology, and corporate governance through service on the boards of four Fortune 500 companies – Palo Alto Networks, Micron Technology, Mutual of Omaha, and Andeavor, formerly Tesoro Corporation. Her leadership has been marked by sound judgment, integrity, and a deep commitment to helping organizations and the people they serve thrive.
Together, Mary Pat and Kevin have extended their commitment to education, service, and helping others build better lives through their philanthropy. They support scholarships at Creighton University, including a scholarship at the Health Sciences Campus-Phoenix for students pursuing careers in pharmacy, nursing, and medicine, as well as a Family Scholarship that reflects their longstanding commitment to Catholic and Jesuit education. More than 15 members of their extended family have attended Creighton University, and all three of their children attended Jesuit schools.
Their commitment to service extends beyond education. They support Habitat for Humanity and the Augustine Institute and, for many years, have served as eucharistic ministers in Scottsdale, Arizona, bringing Holy Communion to Catholic hospital patients and others unable to attend Mass. They have also opened their home and hearts to others in need, including hosting a family from Liberia. Across every chapter of their lives, they have sought to make their faith visible through acts of service, hospitality, and accompaniment.
Today, Mary Pat and Kevin reside in Scottsdale, Arizona, where they enjoy spending time with their children, grandchildren, family, and friends. For them, philanthropy is not about recognition. It is about opening doors, strengthening families, preparing future healers, and ensuring that children and vulnerable adults are met with compassion and dignity.
Through their devotion to family, commitment to education, and lifelong practice of generosity, Mary Pat and Kevin McCarthy have helped create opportunities for others to thrive. Their lives reflect the spirit of the Child of Peace Award: creating loving homes, strengthening families, and bringing hope to children whose futures depend on the care and commitment of others. Throughout their lives, they have shown that true leadership is not defined by titles or accomplishments, but by having the courage to do what is right, to serve others with compassion, and to put faith into action. Their enduring legacy is found not only in what they have achieved, but in the lives they have touched, the families they have strengthened, and the hope they continue to create for future generations.