Patricia Trepper

What can one say about a woman as brilliant, passionate and extraordinary as our mother, Patricia Trepper? Mom never met a stranger; rather, she was genuinely curious about anyone who came into her orbit . Her motto was, "Always walk in another's shoes" in order to better understand their point of view.  She was loved by many and left a lasting impression on anyone she met. Simply put, to know her was, indeed,  to love her.

As a wife, Mom was completely devoted to Edward, her One and Only, yet when he proposed, Mom  insisted he would always respect her independent spirit. She had no trouble holding onto her unique self, and this only made Dad more besotted with her throughout their 60-plus years of marriage.

As a mother, Patricia was generous, encouraging, playful, creative and supportive. We children never wanted for anything, and we always knew she and Dad would love us without question - even when we challenged them. Discipline was brought forth not through harshness or physicality, but through kindness, respect and by example. From this, we cultivated our self-esteem and unique personalities.

Most importantly, as her own person, Mom was kind, gentle, curious, amazingly talented, funny beyond belief, incredibly intelligent, and most of all - passionate - in every aspect of her life. She was a gifted singer, and deeply loved music. She could draw and sew, often designing clothes for herself and her children. Mom loved gadgets of all sorts, and because of her analytical mind, she could fix just about anything. She was young at heart, and oh, so very beautiful.

We invite you all to enjoy this tribute site and get to know Patricia a bit better. We encourage you to post your own thoughts, memories, photos and videos of how Patricia impacted your own life.

Thank you, from the Trepper Family.

Here is the obituary announcing Mom's passing on April 15th, 2022:

"If you look up at the night sky, you will see a bright new star shining down on us all. Patricia Trepper, beloved mother, wife, sister and friend to so many, passed peacefully in the evening of April 15th in Wilmington, Delaware, under a glorious full moon. She was 98 years old.

Born in Wilmington in 1923 to Marion Eugene Crumlish and Elizabeth Anne Gibney, Patricia and her family grew up in Carney’s Point, New Jersey, where her father worked as a chemical engineer for DuPont. The oldest of nine, Patricia’s nurturing spirit blossomed at a young age as she helped raise her younger siblings. These loving traits of kindness, patience, compassion and caring would define Patricia’s vibrant personality throughout her life.

The Crumlish family was gifted musically. There was always perfect harmony singing resonating throughout the house while the parents cooked and the children did their chores. They frequently staged backyard skits and musicals, to the delight of the entire neighborhood. Many happy summers were spent at the family farm in Odessa, Delaware, where Patricia delighted in walking out into the fields alone to sing and feed her passions for music and nature. She loved all things of beauty - art, flowers, trees, clouds, birdsong and all animals.

Patricia graduated in 1941, at the top of her class, from Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, DE, where she starred in the leading roles of several Gilbert & Sullivan operettas, including “Patience”. After graduation, Patricia sang popular standards with a New Jersey Big Band, Ken Janney & the Penguins. She and her sisters, Betty Gene and Anne, attended local GSO dances and soldiers were often invited back to the Crumlish home for meals.

It was at her job as a chemical analyst for DuPont’s Jackson Lab where Patricia met the love of her life, when she dropped a beaker instead of a handkerchief and caught the eye of a handsome young Chemical Engineer, Edward Trepper. Ed had won a new automobile at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, and Patricia had an iron, so they pooled their treasures and married in 1944. Patricia retired and they began their family, raising five loving and devoted children.

Patricia and Ed were each other's best friends and soul mates, sharing love, laughter and life's many milestones until Ed's passing in 2004. Patricia loved to travel. Ed’s work as an engineer took the couple on wonderful adventures throughout Europe, where they explored museums, sightseeing and local culture. They later enjoyed road trips through the American southwest and tropical getaways to Hawaii and Jamaica.

Proud of her strong Irish heritage, Patricia introduced Ed to Ireland early on and the two made many return trips to the Emerald Isle. She later made a solo trip, a trip with her mother, and eventually several more trips to Ireland with her daughters and sister. Deeply knowledgeable about traditional Irish poetry and music, she impressed even the locals when she took to the stage to sing and recite in the village pubs.

Anyone who knew Patricia was awed by her intelligence, wit, humor and knowledge of obscure facts. Her ability to ace every category on her favorite television show, “Jeopardy!” continued even close to her passing. She was the oldest, and most widely-read, member of her neighborhood Book Club, where she offered keen insight and firsthand accounts into long-ago parts of history, from The Great Depression through World War II.

Her mind was always churning, always ready to learn new things. Patricia’s love of reading never waned, even into her late 90s when she began to suffer from debilitating pain. She read up to three novels a week, mostly British crime novels, the Irish author Maeve Binchy and historical fiction. Each morning, she read the local and national news on her iPad, stopping frequently to Google anything she needed to know.

Patricia was a friend to people of all ages and backgrounds. She always wanted to know your personal back story, always deflecting attention from herself and onto others. She made you feel as though you were the most important person she’d ever met, and her deep interest came genuinely from her heart. Her favorite adage was, “Always walk in each other’s shoes”. Don’t be quick to judge. Have compassion. Be kind.

Patricia is predeceased by her husband, Edward, son, Thomas, and many of the Crumlish family. She is survived by her children, Kathleen, Robert (Wilda), John (Leslie) and Beth, her sister, Betty Gene Mercer, four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, her beloved cat, Teagan and countless friends to treasure her memory."