Patricia Lee Branin

Patricia Lee (Perzan) Branin, 78, of Farmington, CT, passed away peacefully on October 21, 2025, after battling cancer for the fourth time. She was the sixth and last child (the baby girl) of Anna Koropatkin and Alexander Perzan. She was born on December 27, 1946 in Hartford.
It was early on that we learned Patty was one in a million. Save & Publish Patty's life is bookended by two extremely rare occurrences. The first happened when she was just beginning her school years (around age 5) when she lost her hearing to Scarlet Fever. She was playing in a grass field one minute, running home crying the next. That's how quickly she went completely deaf.
Maybe it was only fitting that someone who battled so much throughout her life would have one last showdown to test her beautiful spirit this time an ultra rare cancer (one in a million) called angiosarcoma that begins in the blood vessels and moves aggressively from there. And yet, despite the intense pain she faced, she continued to smile, laugh, thank those helping her, and share her love.
That is the Patty that many of us will remember. She's someone you could meet once and never forget. Her laugh filled the room. She loved engaging with everyone. Patty was cheerful and caring until the end.
Patty attended American School for the Deaf in West Hartford and graduated in 1965. It was during her time at ASD where she learned to embrace who she was. She was never ashamed or bitter about being deaf. She was never a victim.
At ASD she made many lifelong friends, and it was during that time she met her high school sweetheart Daniel Branin. They married November 6, 1970.
Although they didn't spend their lives together, Patty never remarried and kept in touch with Daniel until her final days. He was the only man she loved. He is the father of her greatest joy, her son David who was born in 1975.
Patty's life was filled with love. First and foremost it was love for her family. She thought about her mother, father, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, cousins, and son all the time. One great example of this was that every family member's birthday was locked in her head. No matter what time of year it was, she knew whose birthday was next. Name any month and she would reel off every family member's birthday that month. If it was your birthday or a Holiday, you could always expect a lovely card waiting in your mailbox. And it was signed "Love Patty and Polly"... her beautiful cat that she loved dearly.
Patty had a deep love for people. She always enjoyed being around people. She was inquisitive and wanted to know about the people around her. And she always loved teaching sign language to anyone she could. That was one of her biggest delights. She wanted everyone to learn sign language.
She was one of the warmest, kindest, most genuine people you could ever meet. It's hard to find a photo of her where she isn't smiling or holding up the "I Love You" sign. She gave away her love freely. She accepted people for who they were. And we will always remember her laugh. Her laugh brought so much joy. And it was hard not to laugh when she was laughing and that's exactly what she wanted.
Patty had a love for puzzles and games. Whether it be scrabble (a family favorite), Trouble, or the card game Rummy. But be careful, she was a fierce competitor! And once she was introduced to Wordle, it became an obsession. Two words she used all the time were "Shock" and "World."
She also loved to knit. She would spend months making blankets and then give them away as gifts. She also loved to travel. She traveled as far as California and Hawaii, but most of the time it was road trips with her sister Carol to Virginia and New York to spend time with their eldest sister Ellie and other family members.
Patty was a great cook, especially Polish food like pierogies, potato pancakes and golumpkis. She made the most delicious cookies and pies. Every holiday she would be one of the first to help and one of the last to stop.
She loved bowling Thursday nights at Silver Lanes in East Hartford with her deaf friends. And in her later years she loved her time at the Robinson House where she would play bingo and connect with new friends in the deaf community. She loved the New England Patriots because 'Pats' was close to her name and they represented New England. She loved the Boston Red Sox because that was her Ma's favorite team. She loved UConn Basketball and watching March Madness with her son David. Patty's Connecticut pride made her steadfast in never wanting to leave the Nutmeg state. It was the only home she ever wanted. And just as important, it was where her family was.
Patty lived life to the fullest. Her hearing loss did not restrict her. She overcame cancer three times, went to school, held many jobs, was a devoted single mom to a beautiful son who adored her, made many friends, was independent, resourceful and vibrant for most of her life.
Patty wants to thank her real-life 'angels,' Jessie Harden, Carmen Morales, Sandra Byfield, and Madeline Delgado for their support, companionship, friendship and love that helped extend her life many, many years.
Patty was predeceased by her siblings, Judith Bifolck and Alexander "Buzzy" Perzan.
Patty is survived by her siblings, Eleanor Hall, Carol Strona, William Perzan; sister-in-law, Mary (Canning) Perzan; ex-husband, Daniel Branin; son, David Branin; daughter-in-law, Karen Worden; cousin, Lorraine Yedziniak; and 13 nieces and one nephew.
There will only be one Patty. If you met her, you'd probably remember her. She will be missed by so many and in our hearts forever forever forever!
Services for Patty will be held privately. To share a memory or condolence message, please visit www.SheehanHilbornBreen.com