Pam was born March 11, 1949 to George H. Bunnell and Florence Dorothy Bunnell in Grand Rapids. She was a proud 1967 graduate of South High School, where she was a member of the marching band, loved to dance and made lifelong friends.
While in high school, Pam, who played flute and piccolo, attended music camp at Michigan State University. It was her introduction to the university that would become an enduring passion.
Pam enrolled at Michigan State as a music major before turning her academic focus and outgoing personality to marketing communications. In 1971, she earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from MSU and accepted a position at Grand Valley State. There she was part of the team at PBS-station WGVC-TV (now WGVU) when it signed on the air in 1972. An evening spent with Big Bird and other Sesame Street character cast members was a highlight of her time there and became one of many entertaining anecdotes Pam, a master storyteller, loved to share.
Pam’s career continued in Dallas, Texas, where she worked on the staff of a city magazine before returning to Grand Rapids. After nine years in marketing at Davenport University, in 2007 Pam accepted a position as a senior communications manager at her beloved alma mater.
At Michigan State, Pam worked for ten years in the central communications office as part of the marketing communications team, planning marketing strategies, concepting creative work and managing projects. She gained the trust and respect of colleagues who knew they could always count on her to bring her marketing savvy, no-nonsense work ethic and quick wit to all she did — and to be in their corner.
As a loyal Spartan alumna, staff member and sports fan, Pam was an effective ambassador for Michigan State. She was an enthusiastic Spartan expert, often introducing others to MSU traditions and giving tours of campus to young family and friends. She wore her green and white proudly on game days and demonstrated true Spartan spirit every day.
Pam and her wry – and occasionally irreverent – sense of humor as well as her honesty and straight-talking approach to work and life, will be missed. A strong, smart role model, she was a good listener who gave wise counsel and went out of her way to help others. She will be remembered by many for her authentic friendship and for making them laugh with her life-adventure stories, her love of Peeps and her “Pam-isms.”
Pam loved sharing in the lives of her family members and took great pride in their accomplishments. Pam is preceded in death by her parents; sister, Kathryn Horning; brother, Raymond Bunnell; and nephew, Craig Horning. Surviving are her brother, Jim (Cindy) Scott; nieces, Kellie Scott, Amy Poulos, Betsy Rademacher, Vicky Gonea, Dena Bunnell, Wendy Janowicz and Kellie Bunnell; nephew, Ben Scott, John Bunnell; and 16 grand nieces and nephews.
Pam’s family hopes to gather together friends and family to celebrate Pam’s life when conditions allow.
They wish to extend sincere thanks to Pam’s friends Linda Thompson, Bob Davis and Doug Pettinga for all the help they gave her this past year. They also wish to thank the staff of Emerald Meadows assisted living facility and Faith Hospice for their kind and expert care.
To sign Pam's online guestbook or send a message of sympathy, please visit; www.NeptuneSociety.com
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.11.0