Patrick Leroy “Pat” Smalley
November 26, 1947 - February 26, 2023
After a life of devoted service to his family, community, and country, Patrick Smalley went on to receive his eternal reward in Christ on Sunday, February 26, 2023 at the Wisconsin Veteran’s Home at Union Grove.
Born in Columbus, Ohio, to parents Donald A. and Dorothy L. Smalley, Patrick was raised alongside his brother David, and sisters Beverly and Donna. A bright but restless student, Patrick left high school early to enlist in the US Marines, going on to serve in Vietnam with the 7th Engineer Support Battalion – 1st Marine Logistics Group, where he advanced to the rank of Lance Corporal.
While in Vietnam, Patrick suffered a catastrophic injury on February 3rd, 1967 in the course of performing engineering support duties. Though doctors at the time did not expect him to survive, Patrick, true to form, proved them wrong as he would many other times in his life.
The cost of surviving his ordeal, however, would be a lifetime 100% disability.
While being treated for his injuries at the Naval Hospital in Great Lakes, Illinois, Patrick happened to see the photo of a pretty girl. He kept that photo, and, sharing it with his mother on his return to Columbus, promised that he would one day marry that girl.
Now a focused young man, that restless student moved from Columbus to Milwaukee where he did, in fact, marry Joyce Ann Gray, the girl from the picture, with whom he would go on to have six children.
An overcomer to the end, Patrick would not allow his disability rating, no matter how severe, to keep him down. Though he was told in his early attempts to find work that he was “unemployable,” he refused to give up and in time found himself employed delivering parts for Heiser Ford in Milwaukee, where he would come to be promoted as manager of the parts department.
Dedicated to a lifetime of self-improvement, aspirations for business ownership would lead this restless student away from the parts counter and back to a school desk at MATC in Milwaukee, where he learned upholstery. Patrick would move his young family of eight to Cedar Avenue in East Troy, Wisconsin, fulfilling the dream of becoming his own boss in a small but successful shop behind the garage where P&J Upholstery was born.
A hard worker, but not all work and no play, Patrick was an avid fisherman and could often be found in a boat, or on the pier or the shore trying to land “the big one.” He loved playing the harmonica, and also enjoyed horseshoes, woodworking, and working on vintage cars.
His love of animals was immense, and Patrick cared deeply for his horses Cocoa and Asia, his dogs Cinnamon, Biff, Fargo, Tia, Sadie, and Chichi, and his rescued pet squirrel Asia.
Patrick’s faith carried special meaning to him, especially in his final years – a meaning Pat shared sincerely and urgently with his family, encouraging his children and grandchildren to befriend and talk with Jesus as he did.
Patrick is survived by Joyce, his loving wife of 52 years; his children Roy (Kari) Smalley, Jason (Angela) Smalley, Jeremy (Angie) Smalley, Rebecca (RJ) Smalley, Adam (Cory) Smalley, and Renee (Jacob) Hart; and his grandchildren Alex, Piper, Zachary, Signey, Chloe, Carter, Mei, Christopher, Christian, Colton, Fisher, Jaxson, Honesty, Flynn, and Julian.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, March 5 at the Schmidt & Bartelt Funeral Home in Mukwonago from 1 PM until 3 PM. Funeral Service will be held at 3:30 PM at the Funeral Home followed by Military Honors.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made in Patrick’s name to the Wisconsin Veteran’s Home at Union Grove, website https://dva.wi.gov/Pages/veteransHomes/VHDonations.aspx
