Patrick Frawley

1929 - 2023

Patrick Frawley

Nov. 22, 1929 - Sept. 7, 2023

MADISON - Patrick Frawley, formerly of Madison, WI, died on Thursday, September 7, 2023, in St. Paul, MN, surrounded by loving family members, at age 93.

Patrick was born on November 22. 1929, in Appleton, WI. The youngest of four children, he enjoyed growing up with his loving family in Appleton in a house on the Fox River that was close to parks and St. Mary's Catholic Church. After high school, Patrick entered St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee to study to become a Catholic priest. After six years, he decided he wanted to marry and have a family. He then attended St. Norbert's College in DePere to get his BA and teacher certification.

Over the years, he obtained teaching licenses in English, social studies, Latin and German and a Masters Degree in Education in 1962. He first taught in Sparta, WI, where he met lifelong friends and began a career he loved. After five years he moved to Madison and began teaching at West High School. At summer school at UW-Madison in June 1959, he met Mary Douville in the Pine Room of the Lakeshore Dorm. They married on June 18, 1960, and were life partners for 58 years until Mary's death in 2018.

Their marriage was based on many shared values including a love for family, their community at Blessed Sacrament and a belief in serving others through education and volunteer work. Patrick thoroughly loved being a teacher at West High School. Known to his Latin students as Magister, he led his classes with energy and enthusiasm, and occasionally indulged in toga parties. He had great fondness for his students and genuinely enjoyed working with young people. He always said that he had the best students and was extremely happy to have taught at West High.

Patrick made some wonderful lifelong friends among the staff and served as the Foreign Language Department Chair for many of his 37 years at West. As a school leader, he listened to his colleagues and worked to mentor younger teachers. He won multiple teaching awards including the Bassett Award, and a Wisconsin Department of Education "Distinguished Teacher of Teachers" Award.

In 1983, one of his students was selected as a Presidential Scholar, identified Patrick as "the most significant contributor to his secondary education" and asked him to accompany him to Washington, DC, to accept this award at the White House.

Mary and Patrick had three children, Patrick Jr. (Rick), Ruth, and Ellen Mary who died shortly after birth. Patrick was a caring, sweet dad who by his own admission, was better with the kids when they were a little older. One of his favorite things to do with the kids was taking them swimming at Vilas Park or in lakes in Northern Wisconsin. On rare family trips to hotels, they would always make certain to pack suits and make a beeline for the pool. Patrick loved talking to everyone about books, politics, history and people. He was a good listener and kind man who loved to engage people in conversation.

In his retirement, he and Mary enjoyed traveling. Memorable highlights included trips to Hawaii and Australia. Closer to home, they loved visiting family in Wisconsin and the Twin Cities, and summer trips to their daughter Ruth and her husband Stu's cottage on Bird Lake in Northern Wisconsin.

After Mary died in 2018, Patrick always tried to stay positive even as his health declined, and through the harsh and painful loneliness of the Covid years when he was in lockdown at All Saints Assisted Living facility in Madison. When his care needs became too much for All Saints, he embarked on a new challenge and moved to St. Paul, MN, near his son, Rick, and wife, LeAnn. With Rick and LeAnn's help he was able to adjust to a new home. Their loving visits made his last two years special.

He is survived by his son, Rick (LeAnn); daughter, Ruth (Stu); and grandchildren: Hannah and Maddy Frawley, and David and Sarah Mondschein; as well as his special sister-in-law, Penny Duncan.

A funeral mass will be held at Blessed Sacrament Church in Madison on Thursday, September 21, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. with a visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the church.

Our family would like to thank the sensitive and caring staff at All Saints Assisted Living and Agrace HospiceCare of Madison, and New Perspectives Assisted Living and Our Lady Of Peace Hospice in St. Paul, MN.