Pamela Pulley Sampson Katz

Pamela Pulley Sampson Katz, of Richmond, passed away peacefully on Jan. 14, 2015, after a lengthy battle with Type 1 diabetes. She was 70, and very much loved by many friends and family. Pam leaves behind her husband of 32 years, Dr. Jonas “Joe” Katz; a daughter, Kathryn S. Allen (Charles), and grandchildren Connor and Cameron, of Alexandria; a son, Craig W. Sampson (Zinie) and granddaughter Sabrina, of Richmond; and stepdaughter Michelle K. Welborn (Laurie) and grandchildren Devon and Dylan, of Munich, Germany. She also is survived by three siblings, J. Waverly Pulley III (Patsy), of Midlothian; Glenn W. Pulley, (Pam), of Danville and Jan P. Lester (David), of Midlothian. She was predeceased by her parents, Junius and Shirley Pulley of Courtland, Va., and stepson David Katz.

Pam graduated from Southampton High School in 1962 and attended Averett and Longwood colleges. Years after raising her children, she graduated magna cum laude from the University of Richmond while working full time. Among the greatest joys of her life were her grandchildren, and she took great pride in their activities and accomplishments. Over the years, Pam had been an avid tennis player at Avalon, Raintree, and lastly, the Westwood Club, and she also enjoyed skiing out West. When she had to give up those pursuits, she became a ferocious duplicate bridge player and continued to treasure spending time with her family and friends in Steamboat, Colorado. “I could not have loved her more but wish I could have loved her longer,” Joe said. Pam also was a dog lover and strong supporter of ASPCA, and strongly agreed with its slogan: “A cold nose can warm your heart.”

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Pamela Pulley Sampson Katz, of Richmond, passed away peacefully on Jan. 14, 2015, after a lengthy battle with Type 1 diabetes. She was 70, and very much loved by many friends and family. Pam leaves behind her husband of 32 years, Dr. Jonas “Joe” Katz; a daughter, Kathryn S. Allen (Charles), and grandchildren Connor and Cameron, of Alexandria; a son, Craig W. Sampson (Zinie) and granddaughter Sabrina, of Richmond; and stepdaughter Michelle K. Welborn (Laurie) and grandchildren Devon and Dylan, of Munich, Germany. She also is survived by three siblings, J. Waverly Pulley III (Patsy), of Midlothian; Glenn W. Pulley, (Pam), of Danville and Jan P. Lester (David), of Midlothian. She was predeceased by her parents, Junius and Shirley Pulley of Courtland, Va., and stepson David Katz.

Pam graduated from Southampton High School in 1962 and attended Averett and Longwood colleges. Years after raising her children, she graduated magna cum laude from the University of Richmond while working full time. Among the greatest joys of her life were her grandchildren, and she took great pride in their activities and accomplishments. Over the years, Pam had been an avid tennis player at Avalon, Raintree, and lastly, the Westwood Club, and she also enjoyed skiing out West. When she had to give up those pursuits, she became a ferocious duplicate bridge player and continued to treasure spending time with her family and friends in Steamboat, Colorado. “I could not have loved her more but wish I could have loved her longer,” Joe said. Pam also was a dog lover and strong supporter of ASPCA, and strongly agreed with its slogan: “A cold nose can warm your heart.”

A memorial service will be held at 11AM on Wednesday, Jan. 21, at Woody Funeral Home on Parham Road, followed immediately by a gathering at the Westwood Club. The family wishes to thank Drs. Starkman, Castellucci and Phillips for caring for Pam over many years and for giving us additional precious time with her, as well as the medical and nursing staffs at Henrico Doctors Hospital and Memorial Regional Medical Center. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to JDRF (www.jdrf.org) to fund Type 1 diabetes research.