Patricia Ann Aprahamian

Aprahamian, Patricia Ann (nee Gezella) died peacefully on June 22, 2025, at the age of 88.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of over 55 years, Dr. Charles Aprahamian, her parents, Leonard and Esther Gezella, and devoted son, Gregory.

She is survived by five sons: George (Karen), Leonard (Nancy), Steve (Debby), Charles P. “Chuck” (Jonna), Michael (Michelle); a daughter-in-law, Tammy Aprahamian, 15 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren, sister-in-law Janice, and her dear nieces and nephews.

She graduated from Nathan Hale High School in West Allis in June 1954 and was married to Charles in October of that same year. She was an only child, and her hard-working parents often had her stay with her grandparents so they could make ends meet during the depression. In those lonely moments she vowed to have a big family. The love of her life was only too happy to oblige.

In Pat’s first pregnancy, Charles secretly prayed for a son. God blessed him with twin boys…and four more after that. Pregnant with her last child, Pat rejected her friend’s hopes that God finally gift her a daughter, stating that at this point, she wanted a “matched set.” Ultimately, her sons gave her the daughters she never bore herself, and she doted on them and loved them unconditionally.

The saying, “Behind every great man is a great woman,” was certainly the case with Pat. Charles became a world renowned trauma surgeon and professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin, but he confided to his sons that he would not have advanced far beyond the greaser punk Pat met when she was 16 if not for her love and belief in him. While he focused on his career, Pat ran the household in a way that would have made General Patton proud.

She was organized and prepared and nothing seemed to faze her—as if she had a monthly quota of trips to the emergency room. There was no better cook. Her meals were legendary, and there was always a seat at the table for her boys’ friends, who routinely would show up at dinner time when their favorites were served.

From den mother to field trip chaperone to volunteer school nurse, she remained active in her children’s lives, often playing the part of both parents. When the boys grew up, providing her with unaccustomed free time, she volunteered at the hospital gift shop and later at the Center for Blind and Visually Impaired Children (now Vision Forward).

Pat worked hard, but also played hard. She loved a party and hosted many. Nothing brought her more happiness than her home filled with people laughing and telling stories. She was notorious for making a mean Cosmopolitan, but dabbled in Margaritas, as well. Her attention to her swimming pool put the Chanel perfume commercial to shame. She was an excellent card player: bridge, sheepshead, poker, it didn’t matter. Not to be outdone by her husband, she too won her son’s charity No Limit Hold’em Poker Tournament and made the final table again a few years later.

She loved socializing with friends, and she had too many to count: From her roots in Milwaukee, to her cherished time in Black River Falls, and her adopted “family” in Ixtapa. Her understated sense of humor, quick wit (when recently asked by the Armenian priest if she was Armenian, she quipped she was Armenian “by injection”), and penchant for practical jokes (something she inherited from her father) will not be forgotten.

In the fifteen years since Charles passed, she assuaged her grief with an enthusiasm for life. She devoted herself to her grandchildren and great grandchildren—her “cherubs.” Confirmations, graduations, weddings, Grandma Pat was there and ready to party. From seeing Mumford & Sons with her friends to Katy Perry with her granddaughter, the answer from Pat was always “I’m in.”

In one of her last statements before she died, she said, “I miss dad. Please God let me see him again.” The family takes comfort in knowing they are together again—playing “heads up” for Champ of Champs poker bragging rights. The smart money is on Pat.

Thanks to the staff at Dickson Hollow for their care and support. In lieu of flowers, memorials appreciated for the Milton & Lidy Lunda/Charles Aprahamian Professorship in Trauma at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW Lunda/Aprahamian Professorship).

A celebration of Pat’s life will be held on Friday, July 18, 2025, at Krause Funeral Home located at 21600 West Capitol Drive, in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Visitation from 9:30 AM until the Memorial Service at 11:30. Reception to follow.

Memorials appreciated to: Lunda/Aprahamian Professorship Medical College of Wisconsin, Office of Institutional Advancement, P.O. Box 26509 Milwaukee, Wisconsin  53226