Patricia M. Robison

Patricia Michelas Robison died peacefully on the afternoon of January 15, 2025 from old age degeneration and a weak immune system caused by Covid 19, Shingles, and an infection. She lived a rich, full life of 97 years old.

Patricia Michelas Robison was born March 17, 1927 in Rock Springs, Wyoming to Angeliki (Eve) Sapsakis and Theodore (Ted) Michelas, turn-of –the century Greek immigrants, and both natives of the beautiful island of Crete. Her father, Ted was a shoemaker in Rawlins, Wyoming and like many other unattached Greek men, he was seeking a bride from his homeland. The coal-mining town of Hanna Wyoming, where Ted lived, was heavily populated with Cretan immigrants, and after seeing a picture of Eve paid her passage to America. The two were married within a week of Eve’s arrival in Wyoming.

Patricia and her two siblings grew up in Rock Springs, Wyoming, speaking Greek in the home and learning English while attending grade school and kicking up their heals in their youth. With a chuckle, Patty remembers the shenanigans of her 12 year-old cousin, Jim Shetakis, who commandeered the bread delivery truck with bouncing wide-eyed Ann along for the thrilling joy ride.

Her father, Ted, moved the family to California, settling them there while he came to Las Vegas looking for employment to better his family’s lifestyle. While living with his uncle, Mike Paps, Ted was employed as a dishwasher in a Greek restaurant, where one fortuitous night, he filled in for the inebriated cook. This led to Ted’s cooking for several other Greek-owned restaurants, and within a year, he was able to reunite the family in Las Vegas.

The Michelas family initially lived in a house on 5th Street, eventually building a home on West St Louis. The early 1940’s Las Vegas streets were paved with dirt and heavy rains caused muddy floods miring the family’s 1933 Dodge up to the wheel spokes. Patty liked to reminisce about getting stuck in the mud and having to walk to the 5th Street School the only option left to Patty and her siblings. Patty attended Las Vegas High School, where her graduating class consisted of 112 students, and the entire Greek-American population of the school was 4.

Ted Bought 36 lots off of St. Louis and in order to provide water for the proposed construction, dug an enormous well filled with the soft, pure and abundant artesian waters which upon its discovery in 1829, gave the lush, green meadow of Las Vegas its name. Water was provided to residents of Las Vegas through the genesis of the Michelas Water Company, franchised by Ted Michelas and eventually bought by the city of Las Vegas.

Patricia left home at the age of 20 and married Jimmy Feran. After 5 years they divorced and she came home.

She then helped her father run the family business. The Michelas Water Company and then managed Michelas Apartments.

The family owned the Nevada Café on First Street. That was I the forties, when Nellis Air Force base was opening up. The restaurant was always packed, Patricia liked to remember the past when her and her brother Michael washing dishes and frying donuts in the back.

In the 1950’s, the Las Vegas Greek Community was very small, and Greeks, always eager to patronize Greek-owned businesses, frequented Ted Michelas’ Tasty Pastry Shop bakery and restaurant on Fremont Street, where Michael fried doughnuts and Patty iced cakes.

The early Greeks of Las Vegas attended services at the Episcopal Church and it became their burning desire to establish a Greek Orthodox Church in Las Vegas. Patty’s father, Ted Michelas and Patty were among the 27 Greek men and women whose spark and spunk led to the organizing of the “Eastern Greek Orthodox Community of Las Vegas.”

Patricia served on the first Parish Council, Patty holding the office of secretary. Her 67 words per minute typing skills helped her greatly. Early services were held in the Episcopal Church and Patty and the rest of the Las Vegas Greeks began rounds of fund-raising parties.

Through these fund-raising efforts, St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church opened its doors in 1961. Patty and her husband Robert “Bobby” Robison, remember their daughter, Diane being one of the first wailing toddlers in the church cry room. In this quiet space, mothers comforted their restless children while keeping an eye and ear on the Liturgy through a window at the rear of the church. Later as a young woman, Diane served as organist for St John Church.

Patty has been a member of the Ladies Philoptochos Society Panagia Chapter, since its0 inception in Las Vegas in 1955, frequently serving on the board of directors. She was one of the organizers of the First Food Festival in 1973, for many years managing a manning the Raffle Booth and sewing her bright Greek costume to add to the color and culture of the Festival.

Patty always remembered her early days with a great deal of gentle humor. She was a member of the Young Republicans; Queen of the 1955 Las Vegas Community Fair; the Face of Daylight Savings Time; a trained medical technician and she worked for more than 20 years for the Michelas family businesses; in her words, “Learning the ropes as I went,” but in the words of her late sister, Ann, “The truth is she ran the whole operation.”

Certainly her beauty never faded. She was a quintessential hostess.

She had an appreciation for beauty and beautiful furnishings and art.

On September 26, 2014 at 7pm she was honored at the 2003 Greek Food Festival where she lit the torch at the 2003 First Annual Torch Lighting Ceremony, the culmination of a 26.2 mile Torch Relay Run that raises money for local charities.

Patricia was a world traveler. She loved travelling to her favorite place, Crete, Greece. She loved visiting with relatives on the island, and in Athens. She traveled in Europe and China. One of the highlights of her life was a Pilgrimage to Israel with her daughter, Diane in 2010. She also loved visiting North Carolina seeing relatives in 2015.

She married Robert Cecil Robison in 1957. She gave birth to her daughter, Diane in 1959.

Patricia loved her family deeply. Like many Greek woman, she loved her daughter and cherished her extended family. Patricia was extremely close to her immediate family. She loved her parents and siblings greatly. Her daughter, Diane fondly remembers, “My mother, Patty and her sister, Ann were joined at the hip.” She loved her friends and her dogs.

She was outspoken to the extreme always telling her truth and sharing her opinions.

But, she had a loving and great heart. She was a beautiful person. Patricia’s love and beauty will be missed and remembered.

A visitation for Patricia will be held Friday, January 24, 2025 from 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM at Saint John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, 5300 El Camino Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89118. A funeral service will occur Friday, January 24, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, 5300 El Camino Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89118. A graveside service will occur Friday, January 24, 2025 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Palm Downtown Mortuary & Cemetery, 1325 N Main St, Las Vegas, NV 89101.

In Lieu of Flowers please make a donation in Patricia's name to Saint John The Baptist Greek Orthodox Church at 5300 El Camino Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89118.