Patricia Anne Otillia Trompeter

Patricia Anne Otillia Trompeter
Patricia Anne Otillia Trompeter, 57, passed away peacefully on March 4, 2025 after a nearly four-year battle with colorectal cancer. She is survived by her son Brandon, her daughter Chloe, and her son-in-law Alexander.
Patti was originally from Glen Ellyn, Illinois, where she was the 23rd of 26 foster children, and the sixth of six children adopted by Henry Fred Trompeter and Ester Doris Modaff.
After graduating from St. Francis High School in 1985, Patti became the first in her family to graduate college, earning a B.S. in Finance and Economics from Marquette University in 1989. After graduating, she spent the next 15 years working at GE Capital, where she eventually served as the CFO of GE Capital IT Solutions, North America.
Patti departed GE in 2004 to devote the next two decades to raising her children, Chloe and Brandon Kekedjian. Patti, Chloe, and Brandon spent these formative years living as expatriates in London, Dublin, and Dubai before settling in Connecticut, which has been home for the last 14 years. Patti was a dedicated mother who brought fun, adventure, and whimsy to every birthday and school event.
As her children grew older, Patti picked up professionally right where she left off. Without missing a beat, she took the helm of the Nasdaq-listed fintech company Sphere 3D Corp. (Nasdaq: ANY) as Director in 2021 and CEO in 2022. As the only female CEO of a public company in her industry, Patti served as a leader and an icon. Her hard work was recognized in 2023, when she was named one of Forbes' 50 over 50 and earned the Marquette Alumni Entrepreneurial Award, and again in 2025, when she was included in Marquis Who's Who. Patti was the talk of the industry; her perseverance and talent for leadership served as an inspiration to many both formally and informally.
Patti never forgot her humble roots, and she always paved the way for others. As selfless as she was generous, Patti never shied away from giving her time and attention to worthy causes. In her community, local restaurants and food pantries alike benefited from donations from her carefully-tended garden. As part of her selfless nature, Patti wanted to use her position to help pave the way for the next generation. A natural mentor, she was a role model for young women, first generation college students, and new industry professionals. As someone who understood the battle of being underrepresented in their field, she always made time for advice, support, or a quick motivational chat. She particularly enjoyed her mentorship work with the Marquette AIM program, and readily opened her heart for the Waterside School and the Domestic Abuse Center at the Greenwich YWCA.
Patti had an impeccable sense of style and an insatiable love of glitter. She would never be caught out to dinner or even at the grocery store without her towering stilettos and designer bag. Patti was a lifelong Chicago Bears fan; she was as loud as she was loyal and could be heard cheering throughout the entire house every Sunday. She was never one to back down from a challenge and was as world-renowned for her galas and dinner parties as she was for her audits and deals. She owned every room she entered and had an innate ability to befriend anyone and everyone. Patti was a larger-than-life personality who touched the lives of many and will be impossible to replace.