Joseph R. Pabst is the great-great-grandson of Capt. Frederick Pabst, founder of
Milwaukee's Pabst Brewing Co. Pabst spent his early years in Arizona before moving
to New England to attend school. He briefly lived in New York where he studied
design at the Parsons School and then moved to Chicago. In the mid-1990s Pabst moved
to Milwaukee, where he felt he belonged.
Joseph Pabst established the Johnson and Pabst LGBT Humanity Fund, which celebrates
his union with his late partner, Robert Johnson. He also founded the Joseph R. Pabst
Animal Care Fund, in honor of his family and his animals, as well as for his belief
in giving back to the community. Pabst is a tireless supporter of many local
organizations and causes. As suggested by the name of the Johnson and Pabst LGBT
Humanity Fund, Pabst focuses his support on LGBT groups and causes. Other
organizations which he supports include the Milwaukee Ballet, Milwaukee Art Museum,
and historic house museums, such as the Pabst Mansion and Ten Chimneys, as well as
animal shelters and animal welfare groups, including the Ozaukee County Humane
Society and the Wildlife in Need Center.
