Patricia E. Wakeland

Patricia E Wakeland, age 82, passed away on Friday April 8th 2022. Born May 21st 1939 in Calumet City IL, she was the third of 4 daughters to have blessed Paul and Adeline Markiewicz. After graduating high school, she got a job as a telephone operator where the opportunity to transfer to Chicago lead her to the windy city.  She met Tony Kujawa and they had three children.  Years later she accepted a position at Schwinn Bicycle where she met her second husband George Wakeland. They had a daughter together and in 1976 decided to move the family to Nelsonville WI. They eventually moved to Appleton, where Pat continued to work as a caregiver in local nursing homes and then at home caring for George. During her years in Wisconsin,  besides working and raising 4 kids, she taxied neighbors to grocery stores and doctors appointments, taught friends how to drive, and enjoyed babysitting her grandchildren. 

Pat was preceded in death by her husband George, her sisters Bernice and Louise, her son Tony, and her son in law Robert, as well as beloved brother and sister in laws, nieces and nephews.

 Pat leaves behind her daughters Anita Hodge, Kim (Jim) Christoph and Dawn (Caleb) McPhail; her grandchildren Brandon (Paulina) Wilder, Jenna Wakeland (Kasey), Morgan Wilder, Josh (Amanda) Christoph, Alyssa (Aaron) Ordway, Ashleigh (Evan) Wakeland, Taylor Gut, and Mitchell Gut; step grandchildren Simon and Hazel McPhail, and her great grandchildren Jaiden and Julian Wilder, Vivian and Danica Christoph, and Nora and Miles Frederickson. She is also survived by her sister Karen Petros and brother in law Robert Wakeland, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. 

Pat held many titles throughout her lifetime - daughter,  sister,  mother,  aunt,  grandmother,  great grandmother, neighbor and friend. She embraced every one of those titles and bestowed love on every person fortunate enough to call her by one of them. She was "honorary" mom and grandma to anyone looking for love, wisdom or even a sassy comment or two.  

Pat was a woman who loved a meal with friends, a good word search, HGTV, game shows, a sappy romance novel, playing games with family and just spending time with those she loved. 

A celebration of Pat's life will take place on Friday April 15th 2022 at Wichman Funeral Homes, Tri County Chapel in Menasha. A gathering of family and friends begins at 3pm with service at 4pm and refreshments to follow. 

Pat's family wishes to thank her caregivers at Care Partners and the staff at AseraCare Hospice.