The Greatest.

Pam was thrust into adulthood early as a kid, and this is where her strength started. As her parents worked and gallivanted (it was the 60s!), she was forced to grow up. Without hesitation, Pam would come home from school, help around the house, change her siblings' diapers, prepare dinner for her family, put the kids to bed, do her homework, and do it all over again. Every now and again you could catch her on the softball field striking people out (and we are sure talking smack). After the games, she would pack her siblings up and head home for her nightly responsibilities.

She met the Bernard family, an extremely large group of siblings from the other side of town, and that is where her first love story began. Pam and her siblings, Johnny, Jack, Michael, and baby Colleen, would hang with Jim and his crew: Cathy, Becky, Cindy, Doug, Debbie, and Norm. What a group.

Jim and Pam were young. He was an all-American boy, and she was the total package, with effortless beauty and personality. They fell madly for one another.

As life would have it, their love grew when they found out they were expecting a baby. While she had experience acting as a mom, nothing could prepare her for when she became one. She welcomed her oldest son at age 16, and that love and bond changed her forever. She went from high school to motherhood in the blink of an eye, and she never turned back.

A few years later, Pam welcomed her fellow blue-eyed beauty, Jamie Ann. Jamie was a firecracker, and Jim and Pam took that as a sign to move closer to family. They posted up in Bristol Gardens, where many of Jimmy and Jamie's first memories were made in the woods, on a playground, and climbing the roof there (don't ask).

A few years later, Julie, a bleach blonde baby girl, entered the family, followed by the baby, who was born on Thanksgiving Day: Jeffrey. This gave Jimmy and Jamie real toys to play with and now Thanksgiving is Jeff's favorite holiday to host (multiple turkeys are involved).

Growing up and raising kids when you are young has its beauty and its challenges, and as Pam navigated her health and her relationship with Jim, her strength was tested. Pam was so proud of what she and Jim built together.

Pam was the best mom. She let her kids be kids and gave them a magical childhood. As children, they didn't know that their parents were young, they didn't realize they didn't have much, and they had no idea that times were hard on Pam. It was later in life that they all realized that every time they did something new, she did too. They shared so many firsts together: concerts, trips, food, you name it.

They did things Pam’s way – sneaking microwave popcorn into the movie theater, sitting in the break of waves at Island Beach Park until dusk, jamming out in the car – every experience was her uniquely her.

Pam was known to sign up for every one of her kids' field trips for the experience. During those trips, every one of the Bernard kids' friends begged to be in her group. She followed no rules, never stuck to the planned agenda, they threw out the bagged lunches their parents packed and bought street food, and they were always late to the bus to get back to school. They were on Pam's time!

Not only was she an incredible mother, but she was also a selfless aunt. She never hesitated to help her nieces and nephews, giving them safety and security, watching them grow, and many times giving them the love they needed.

She later moved down to south Florida, where she started to live life for herself. She spent time traveling, on the beach, she joined a softball team for a minute, and even went back to school, where she received a degree at Florida Southern. You could see Pam’s dad’s smile during the dim lights at the graduation ceremony, both he and his wife, Rose were so proud of her and every one of her accomplishments.

She then met her guy, her love, KG. KG, a true handsome Floridian, opened her world to a completely different life: camo, boats, four wheelers, RVs. She loved her adventures and felt safe with KG. He was her anchor when things were hard and her health declined; he was always there.

Throughout her life, Pam witnessed many of her greatest loves pass suddenly around her. This left a wrench in her heart, but never her spirit. Among them were her father, John; mother, Jacqueline; stepfather, Paul; oldest brother, Johnny; two younger brothers, Jack and Michael; in-laws Jim and Charlotte and Bob, Bernie, and Pattie; sister-in-law, Cathy; her best friend, Patty; and, most recently, her niece Michelle.

She also witnessed her greatest joys, her children, find and create love. She is survived by 16 grandkids: Jimmy, Tyler, Jack, Kaitlyn, Hailey, Brielle, Sadie, Emily, Abigail, Brody, Gavin, Gracie, Lucille, Molly, Sophie, and Andrew, and three great grandkids: Elianna, Archer, and Clementine.

Over the past few years, Pam's health declined, and she fought very hard and lived through tremendous pain. On Friday, September 25, she was sent to heaven, free at last.

Pam was one of a kind, a young soul and bright light who spent all her years caring for everyone around her. Her style was iconic – she never left the house without her pearls, red lips, and mascara.  

That same style was used when she gardened. She was amazing with plants. She was known to pick flowers that didn’t have any blooms. She’d take them home, nurturer them, and without fail buds would come and then her garden was filled with beauty and color. It made anyone smile, just like she did.

She was the party: the first to strike up a conversation with a stranger, the first to order a drink, the first to turn up the music (until the speakers rattled). She always had a book in her hand – you could find her just about anywhere with her nose in it. She loved lotto tickets, learning, and laughing, and her moments at home doing all of that while sitting around the table with KG.

She loved her kids and was so proud of the life she created. In the end, and forevermore, all of those lives will live for her.

We love you, Mom. It's not goodbye, it's a see you later!