Patricia Mickle Appleby

Patricia (Pam) Mickle Appleby passed away Friday, April 29, 2022 at Messiah Lifeways, Upper Allen Township.

Born September 28, 1928 in Bedford PA, she was the daughter of Eudora Sleek Mickle and J. Warren Mickle.

Pat graduated from John Harris High School and West Chester State Teachers College.  She received her Master's Degree in Special Education from Shippensburg University.

After teaching Science for one year at New Cumberland High School, she worked for the air lines as a ticket agent and itinerary planner in the Pentagon.  She worked briefly for the John Blessing Company.  After all of her children were in school she resumed her teaching career and taught for 22 1/2 years at Central Dauphin East Junior High.  Additionally, she worked on the 1999 Census, and spent four years at the Pennsylvania State Archives.  She was an active, professional member of her local, state, and national education association, including Pennsylvania State Education Association, Retired.

Pat broke glass ceilings in the 1950s by entering into the (then) male dominated teaching profession.  Education was of paramount importance to her, and she was always teaching, in and out of the classroom.  In the words of her granddaughter:  ‘Her tenacity for learning and unapologetic passion for imparting knowledge remains unmatched.  Grandma Pat was a teacher, education was her love language’.

At all times wanting to keep busy, she enjoyed playing bridge, reading, swimming, traveling, especially to family holidays on Smokehouse Island, Ontario, Canada and was seldom seen without her knitting.  Pat also believed deeply in land preservation, acquiring acreage on Peters Mountain, where her family built their cabin by hand in the early 1970's.

Active in community affairs, Pat attended nearly every meeting of the Paxtang Borough Council for the last twenty years that she lived there. She served on the Borough Shade Tree Commission, and on the Zoning Hearing Board.  After her retirement, she stayed busy by volunteering at Whitaker Center and various Messiah Lifeways committees. She organized her college class's 50th reunion in 2001 and all reunions since. She established a class endowment fund that continues to provide three annual scholarships to students majoring in education at West Chester University.  Another of her continuing projects is the Paxtang Historical Society.  She founded and organized it initially and was pleased with the community involvement. Her wish was that both of these projects continue indefinitely.

On August 15, 1953, Pat married Thomas M. Appleby who was employed at Appleby Brothers and Whitaker Co, a wholesale plumbing and heating company.  They lived in Paxtang and raised their children there.  He passed away in 2008 after 55 years of marriage.

Pat and Tom moved to Messiah Lifeways in 2006, and made many good friends there.  Her family would like to express their deep appreciation to the residents and staff at Messiah for making their parents’ lives there so special.  They would also like to thank Hospice of Central Pennsylvania for their care at the end of Pat’s life here on earth.

Pat was a member of Paxton Presbyterian Church, Harrisburg and the Central Pennsylvania Friends of Jazz and enjoyed listening to live music and attending productions at Allenberry with her husband.  She was an avid Phillies and Eagles fan, often yelling at the television during games. She kept up with technology by learning how to use a computer and enjoyed communicating with friends and family through email.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in her death by two sons: Mark M., and Craig M. Appleby; her sisters: Irene Eckman, Kathryn Myers, Pauline Robb, Sallie Finlay, and a brother: John W. Mickle, Jr.

Surviving are two sons, Scott M. Appleby, South Thomaston, ME and his wife Kimberly Saunders, Bruce M. Appleby, Linglestown, PA, and his wife Debra McElwee; a daughter, Leigh Appleby Barnes and her husband, Paul, Grantville, PA: 8 grandchildren, Sara Fuentes, Adriane Kalata, Rachel Hart, Lindsey Belanger, Gretchen Henderson, Nicole Barnes, Jacob Barnes, and Jeremiah Adams; 13 great grandchildren:  Avery, James, and Lily Hart, Lula and Ada Fuentes, Penelope Freeman, Sidney Kalata, Ainsley Belanger, Celeste, Arianna, and Lucas Adams, and Sloane and Eddy Henderson; nieces and nephews and many dear friends.

A memorial service will be held at 12:00 pm Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at Paxton Presbyterian Church, 3500 Sharon Street, Harrisburg, where friends will be received at 11:00 am.  Private burial services will be held at Paxtang Cemetery.  It was Pat's desire that this ceremony be a celebration of her life, all attending are encouraged to wear bright colors to the service.

Pat founded a scholarship for students majoring in education at West Chester University and in 2005 was recognized by the president of West Chester University for her efforts in organizing and promoting three scholarships funded by her classmates of 1951. Her family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made payable to the West Chester University Foundation, 1951 Endowed Scholarship Fund,  202 Carter Drive, West Chester, 19382.

https://go.wcufoundation.org/fund-choice?fid=Wg7rbL6%2bJFI%3d&fdesc=2EpZUw6iAozw555XMVdWbozhMYLQ6nnCQuwNdu5my2gqmZeXJHw%2f1w%3d%3d

Kimmel Funeral Home, Harrisburg, is handling arrangements.