Preceded in death by husband R. Edward Gehringer. Survived by son Robert (Natalie) Gehringer, daughters Jane Gehringer and Nanci (Paul) Sammut, grandchildren Lea Gehringer, Dane Gehringer, Sara Anderson, Laura Gehringer, Alexi Weber, and Iain Sammut, and great grandchildren Ben, Greta, Vincent, Sloane, Oliver, Amelia, and Luke.
Pat was an advocate for children in her many volunteer activities and in her career as a second grade teacher.
Pat was born in Omaha in 1927 to loving parents, Pauline and Harry Francis, an only child who grew up in the family home at 45th and Hickory. She was part of a large Omaha extended family with aunts, uncles, and cousins all around. She attended Beales elementary school and graduated from Central High before studying for a year at Midland College and a subsequent year at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Pat met her husband, Ed, on a blind date and after dating for two years, they eloped and married in 1948. Bob was born in ‘49, Jane in ’53, and Nanci in ’56. In 1953 they moved into their newly built home on 75th Street where Pat lived for 62 years until Ed’s death in 2015. She lived her final seven years at the Aksarben Village Senior Living Community. Pat was baptized at Bethel Lutheran Church where she was a member for many years followed by memberships at Calvary Lutheran, St Matthews, Lord of Love, and St Timothy, always active in her church community.
She was involved as a volunteer in many organizations and found satisfaction and took pride in those activities. A partial list includes several Parent-Teacher associations, Girls Scouts, Essential Pregnancy Services, Voices for Children, and Morton Elementary School. Having exceled as a Girl Scout volunteer, in 1968 she was recruited to become the assistant executive director of Omaha Girl Scouts, a position she held until 1974. Simultaneously, she had returned to college and graduated from UNO with straight A’s and a degree in elementary education. Pat initially struggled to find a teaching job, confronted by age discrimination, but found a professional home at Morton Elementary in Millard. She loved teaching second grade and was proud of her professional accomplishments, and she cherished her lifelong community of Morton School friends. Teaching reading was her forte.
In their retirement Pat and Ed traveled to Europe and to many destinations across the country, often with family, and especially enjoyed Elderhostels in Lake Geneva. Pat had relied on Ed for many day-to-day tasks and problem-solving and his loss was very difficult for her. In recent years, she resisted the need to slow down, often stubbornly refusing help and maintaining her own decision making.
Pat loved square dancing with Ed, 40’s big band music, grew fond of Jimmy Buffet, and hated math, cooking, and gardening. She could kill a potted plant in just a few days. Having been rather apolitical as a young adult, the 60’s civil rights movement, the Vietnam war, and her children converted her to become a liberal Democrat, no fan of Nixon, Reagan, the Bushes, Trump, nor Hal Daub. Pat remained an informed voter receiving legislative updates until her death. She was always very organized, and enjoyed being in control and in charge, traits well known to Ed and her children, as well as the patient staff at Aksarben.
We wish to thank Pat’s many friends, especially those from St Timothy and from the Morton School community, and for their kind and thoughtful care, the staffs of Charter Hospice and Aksarben Village Senior Living along with Doctors James Maliszewski and William Shiffermiller.
Friday, March 31, 2023
10:00 - 11:00 am (Central time)
St. Timothy Lutheran Church
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be donated to Voices for Children, Essential Pregnancy Services, and St Timothy Lutheran Church.
Friday, March 31, 2023
Starts at 11:00 am (Central time)
St. Timothy Lutheran Church
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be donated to Voices for Children, Essential Pregnancy Services, and St Timothy Lutheran Church.
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