Pam3
Pam Tribute Page 1 Pam Tribute Page 2
Photo Right: Brian & Pam pose on a sunny day skiing in Switzerland just outside of Zurich 2006
Photo Center: Pam poses at Innsbruck Austria skiing the same runs that the olympians did in '76
Photo Left: Pam taking a break when skiing in Zermatt Switzerland. Not bad for someone born in the desert - and she still has "the" smile on her face.....
Now that we were semi retired we found ourselves expanding our horizons. We would go skiing in Switzerland and Austria. Visit the finest museums in Paris, St. Petersburg, Zurich, Berlin, Mexico City, Washington DC, New York, and so many others. We found ourselves Paragliding in Columbia – soaring in thermals with huge birds looking over at you while riding the thermals, all of us playing following the leader, bird, Pam, bird, Brian, bird – all of us flying from thermal to thermal trying to make these special moments last and last. We hiked part of the Inca Trail and climbed the peaks of Machu Pichu in Peru, We fed the sharks off the Barrier Reef, Feel sorry for Pam? No way!
In 2005 we started to train others in Canopy formation and one of our first clients was the Egyptian Special forces parachute demonstration team. You have to realize that in Egypt it was forbidden for a woman to jump. These Egyptian skydivers traveled half way around the world to find they were now going to jump with a woman. And being of mostly Muslim faith for them to interact with a woman was not common. It took two days for the Egyptians to start to accept Pam but as anyone who knows Pam it is almost impossible not to. By the end of the 30 day training each and every Egyptian was saying goodbye to Pam with warm hugs, and tears. Taking her e-mail address to keep in touch.
At the Great Wall of China 2010 Pam poses with the bike at the 2,000 mile mark on the BRAA in South Dakota B&P in Saguaro National Park on the way to Tucson
Tim (Daniel) and Pam in Bonaire 2009 Pam gives a thumbs up to Scott Webb in 2009 And also in 2009 Scott takes this 'postcard' photo of us
The following year we had another crop of Egyptian skydivers to train. This time when they first met Pam each and every one of them gave her hug. You see the guys from the previous years training had all talked about this amazing woman and had prep’d them for what they would be encountering. Pam cried that night with happiness and could not believe how welcome they had made her feel. That year they also sent a brand new Egyptian competition team and the camera man spent most of his time with Pam to learn from her thousands of camera jump experience on how to get the right angles and just how to fly the parachute to make sure the team gets to score. Out of all the years of competition, out of all the world record attempts Pam never missed getting the shot. Pam was always there to make sure it was on video. Feel sorry for Pam? No way!
When we retired from our 9 to 5’s in 2004 we thought this would be the perfect time to start hiking more and perhaps maybe bicycle. We had our Walmart specials but biking form more than an hour made our rear ends hurt, our wrists hurt, our necks hurt, and it just was not a pleasant experience. So we decided we would purchase a tandem recumbent bike. We purchased our Rans Screamer and thought now this is living. The seats were so comfortable we could ride as long as our legs would hold out.
In 2007 my mother called from Hampton Iowa and said the RAGBRAI is coming through Hampton this year….. maybe you should come and do the RAGBRAI? Pam not knowing what the RAGBRAI was looked it up on the internet and thought how fun does this look! Let’s give it a try! So we were off on our first overnight ride and rode the 512.7 miles in 7 days. We were hooked! On the 2008 RAGBRAI we met a 72 year old man who had rode his bike form Oregon to join up with the RAGBRAI and we got to thinking if a 72 year old can do it – why can’t we? So we started planning our trip.
In the Spring of 2009 we shipped our bike over to a bike shop in San Diego and caught a one way flight over. We thought we better test out riding on our own without the support of the RAGBRAI. So we rode 460 miles from San Diego back to our house to test out carrying our tent, sleeping bags, food, water, and the 80 pounds of supplies we would carry on our bike to make the trip. From that ride we put the final plans in place for four ride across the United States.
In May we again shipped our bike to a bike shop in Astoria Oregon on the Pacific coast, caught one way flights, assembled our bike, and started our journey. Riding across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and then joining up with the RAGBRAI again. This time we had already pedaled 2,485 miles to get to the start of the RAGBRAI and we felt in MUCH better shape. Our friend Scott joined us for his first RAGBRAI and not having to carry our baggage for a week was like a vacation from our vacation. After the RAGBRAI we pedaled down the Mississippi river until St. Louis, then headed straight East across Illinois, Kentucky, and finally across Virginia. In all we had pedaled 4,540 miles on our bike ride across the US. Pedaling for 66 days and averaging 69 miles per day. We stayed in the homes of people whom we never met for 27 of those nights, made some great friends with many of them, and got to see more of the United States at 12.9 miles per hour than most people see in their life time.
Pam and Judie in Washington [and Rusty (Mr. GQ) too!] Brian & Pam all dressed up (rare photo) Pam & Brian in Padderborn Germany 2006
Pam waiting for the clouds to clear to Paraglide in Columbia Pam training on the bunny hill outside of Medellin Pam completes her last training flight for paragliding
In all we rode that tandem bike 22,487 miles together. When talking to most bikers they asked how we could stand to be together riding on the RAGBRAI and how they could never ride with their spouse for even a day. Then we would tell them we had “X” amount of miles together on our bike and they would look at us like we were from Mars. Comments like “You must have a special relationship” were very common. We would both just smile. Most people can not comprehend how much time this takes so lets say we ride 22 miles a day which is just about two hours every day together on the bike. Then take 1,000 days or 3 years time and do this every day and you would bike 22,487 miles together. That is what Pam and I accomplished together on our bike these last few years. Doing what we loved the most with the person we each loved the most. Feel sorry for Pam? Not me – no way!
Pam in Belize 2006 Pam in Hawaii 2006 Pam with her first grand daughter (Jada) 2005
Photo Left: Melissa, Laquita, Chris, Brian & Pam on the Inca trail on their way to Machu Picu in Peru 2005Photo Right: Pam and Brian renting a Cessna 177 to fly around Molikai, Lanai, and Oahu in 2004Pam accomplished more in her half of a life time than 99.9% of the population could accomplish in a full life time. Pam mothered and cared for her two children, her three grandchildren, and one husband that no matter what crazy goal or idea would come up with – would accompany and excel at whatever she did. So nobody out there needs to feel sorry for Pam or sorry for me. Pam gave me the best 19 years of marriage anyone could have ever given. I have these 19 years of memories to last me for the remainder of my life time. Whenever I feel down I just think about Pam and her smiling face – as it always was.
Pam over the last few years made it her mission to find what true happiness was. From reading books, to listening to tapes, to learning Transcendental Meditation all she ever wanted was to seek and spread true happiness and joy. And I had to sit there and watch as she strived to be the most happy, giving, and unselfish person anyone could imagine. No matter how dirty of a job – if it was unclogging a toilet, to doing demolition work on a house, Pam was right there with a smile, waiting to help. You ask me if I am sorry, yes I am sorry for the thousands of people out there who did not have what I had with Pam. I have so many great memories in the 19 years with Pam. Feel sorry for Pam? Me, no way! She did more in her 47 years of life than most people could do in a 90 years. We should all take a lesson from this magnificent woman and learn what is really important in our lives. Pam never cared for the materialistic items so many of us get caught up with. She just really knew how to live her life well. And I know that I am truly a better man for having known her. Thank you Pam – I love You!
