ANDOVER, Vt. – Patricia Susan (Kochiss) Fromberger passed away on the morning of Sunday, May 23, 2021, at her home in Andover, Vt. Pat was born in Bridgeport, Conn., Feb. 4, 1940, the youngest of three sisters. She grew up in Easton, a small rural community a few miles from Bridgeport. Although her father was killed in an automobile accident when she was only one year old, she was raised and loved by a large and supportive family including her mother and many aunts and uncles.
Throughout her life, Pat’s Christian faith was always essential to her outlook. Her relationship with God informed every aspect of her life from an early age; she was baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church of her grandmother, Mary Kochiss, and she grew up as a devoted member of the Episcopal Church. Pat drew enormous strength and comfort from her faith, and although she was patient, mild of manner, and not always publicly outspoken about her views, she was very clear in her devotion.
After graduating from the University of Connecticut in 1962 with a B.A. in home economics, she married H. Joseph Fromberger, having met by chance, and in answer to her prayers, on a ski trip to Vermont in 1967. They were married for 53 years. After the birth of their first son Michael, and the tragic loss of their second son Paul, Pat and Joe moved to Andover, Vt. There, Pat found and joined the community of St. Luke’s Church. Together, her family and the church were the core and bedrock of her life. For Pat, St. Luke’s became a kind of extension of her family, and she served the community of the church for the rest of her life.
Once her son was in school, Pat took a job at the Vermont Country Store. Although she started out with basic clerical tasks in the office of their mail-order business, she soon got involved in producing their mail-order catalogue itself. Pat always had a talent for art – she could draw well and had a keen photographer’s eye. The owner, Vrest Orton, recognized Pat’s skills, and within a few years she became the principal creative director in charge of the design, layout, and production of the VCS catalogue. Over the course of more than 25 years working at the company, Pat had a substantial influence on the artistic style of their iconic brand.
Pat also brought the skills and experience she gained from her working career back to St. Luke’s, shepherding the production of the “Light in the Shadows” newsletter for many years. For this work, she was honored on multiple occasions by the Diocese of Vermont.
Patricia is survived by her husband Joseph as well as her son Michael, her sisters Joy and Sylvia, and their families.
A memorial service in celebration of Patricia’s life will be held Saturday, June 12, 2021 at 11 a.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Chester, Vt. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Chester-Andover Family Center, P.O. Box 302, Chester, VT 05143, or at www.chester-andoverfamilycenter.org.