Pat spent the early morning of Saturday, July 18^th, with her husband Dave on the deck of their home,  watching the birds and drinking coffee.  A light rain began to fall and she wished to stay outside to take it in a little longer.  The rain picked up and she and Dave went inside to her kitchen for a rest.  After resting for a while, she looked into Dave’s eyes and Dave took her into his arms and gave her a big hug and Pat’s soul was released. She is joyfully reunited with her mother and father, and all family members who have gone before her. 

M. Patricia (Pat) was born on December 3^rd, 1941 to the late Arnold Wilburt & Mary Helen (McCafferty) Boes in Sturgeon Bay, WI.  She attended St. Joseph Grade School and later, Sturgeon Bay Senior High School, from which she graduated in 1959.  Pat continued her education with 2 years of college at Door-Kewaunee Normal School in Algoma, WI, where she earned her associates degree in education and student-taught at Gardner and Brussels schools.   She then studied for one year at the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, where she was a member of the synchronized swim team.

On Christmas Eve of 1963, Pat was engaged to her high school sweetheart, David Pape, and they were married on July 4^th, 1964.  She took a break from school to start her family with Dave.  They had four children and made their home in Sturgeon Bay.  Pat and Dave enjoyed traveling and visiting with their family.  They had just celebrated their 51^st wedding anniversary.

Later, determined to earn her bachelor’s degree, she continued her education at Oshkosh while raising a family and teaching at St. Joseph School in Sturgeon Bay.  She finished her Bachelor of Science in Education in 1973.  During this time, she handled family responsibilities, work and school while her husband Dave was gone for long periods of time, sailing on the Great Lakes. It was a heavy load that only merchant mariners’ wives can know and appreciate.

Pat taught for 37 years at St. Joseph Catholic School in Sturgeon Bay before retiring in 2005.  After retirement, she continued to substitute teach at both St. Joseph and St. John Bosco schools even during her cancer treatment until she no longer could. 

Pat LOVED teaching and the students she taught.  As an 8^th grade teacher, her focuses were science, art and religion.  She believed deeply in the value of a Catholic education.  She demanded excellence from students of all abilities.  Some of her favorite students were the “naughty ones” and children who struggled and needed extra help and attention.  These students were the ones that she lovingly nurtured and challenged to help achieve their potential.  Whenever students were having difficulties or struggles, she gave them the encouragement to not sell themselves short and to work through their problems without excuses or shortcuts. Though most of her students feared her tough and unbending classroom, as they have reflected back, they have realized the love she had for them and in turn they speak of Pat as a ‘second mother’.  She will be fondly remembered by her students for her insistence on outlining the text and her thorough reviews of those outlines.  Pat also treasured the camaraderie of her colleagues at St. Joseph School and St. John Bosco School.  The combined passion of these teachers and staff enriched the intellectual and spiritual foundation and growth of countless children.

Dedication to family was important to Pat.  While her husband Dave was on the lakes, she made certain that she took their children to Dave’s extended family’s events.  She wanted to make sure that her children knew their family and where they came from on both sides. 

Pat was a voracious reader and enjoyed a good discussion about books with other readers, especially with her grandchildren.  She read and did crossword puzzles late into the night.  She cherished her time with the children of the family, teaching them how to read, write and draw at her station at the kitchen table.  She was involved in the boy scouts, girl scouts, helping to organize class reunions, Religious Ed, Adult Faith Formation, The DQ Chapter of the PEO Sisterhood and PEO Book Club. 

Holidays and Birthdays were special to Pat and she spent a great deal of time and effort organizing large feasts for the family where she enjoyed the lively, ‘free spirited’ discussions and general melee of nearly 20 family members and just 12 chairs. The meals she prepared were hearty, butter-laden traditional family dishes and everyone had their favorite.

She enjoyed baking birthday cakes for everyone in the family and trying to fulfill wild requests such as a cake in the shape of Lambeau Field, a guitar cake, Packer players, Spongebob and many, many others. She loved the excited reactions of the children when she was able to fulfill these requests.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents, Arnold Wilburt & Mary Helen (McCafferty) Boes; her father-in-law & mother-in-law, Merlin Curtis & Doris (LaVine) Pape and sister-in-law & brother-in-law Pat & Severo Cortez.

Pat is survived by her loving husband David Merlin Pape; son Michael David Pape of Glendale, AZ and his children Michelle, Ryan, Averie, Annica (fiancé Bronson) and their daughter and Pat’s great granddaughter, Rose; daughter Mary Colleen (Wade) Kollberg of Appleton, WI and their children Curt, Nathaniel, Aaron & Mary Sophia; son Daniel David (Jessica) Pape of Plain, WI and their children Luke and Samuel; son Stephen David (Beth) Pape of Ixonia, WI.  She is also survived by brother Jim (Jody) Boes of Sturgeon Bay, WI and their children Sarah, Sadie, Samantha, Matthew, Ann & Michael; brother Dan (Diane) Boes of Sturgeon Bay, WI and their children Jason & Erica; brother Bill Boes of Milwaukee, WI and his daughter Laura; sister-in-law Sherron (Robert) Schroeder of Kenosha, WI and their children Bob, Lisa and Brent; her late sister-in-law Pat (Severo) Cortez’s children Sandra, Linda, Randy and Mark and all of her special great nieces and great nephews. 

Over the past several years, Pat has been blessed with the rekindling of her old friendships from high school.  These friends have been there for her in this past year and we thank them for their support: Georgi, Leann, Mary, Nancy, Sarah, Joy, Judy and Janis and the rest of the lunch bunch.

Pat had many friends and we thank them all.  Her family would like to especially thank Susan Peterson, Kay Nelson, Monica Hilbert, Patti Hovde, and Lucy Kile for their friendship and devotion to Pat over the years.

The family would like to give a very special thank you to Dr. Richard Hogan for the care he gave Pat for many years, and also Dr. David Groteluschen, Dr. Richard Auchter, Kristen Moen ANP-BC and the rest of the staff at Ministry Health of Door County Cancer Center for their kindness, support and dedicated care of Pat during her illness.  We would also like to thank DOOR-CANcer, Inc. for their support during this time.    Dave would like to thank Wal-Mart and the Boys & Girls Club of Door County for their compassion and understanding over this past year.  So many good people and friends have offered their help, love and prayers to Pat and our family.  We thank you all and wish you all the best.

A memorial mass will be conducted at St. Joseph Church at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, July 31, 2015.  Friends may call at the Forbes Funeral Home on Thursday, July 30, from 4-8:00 p.m. and at the church on Friday from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service.  A parish wake service is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Thursday at the funeral home.

Pat made a request that there be a celebration party open to all following her funeral mass at St. Joseph Church in Sturgeon Bay, WI.  Pat would like people to share humorous, interesting or little-known stories about their relationship with her in the style of a ‘roast’.  So, please bring a story to share amongst her family and friends. 

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