Pamela Bourg

Dr. Pamela Wilkinson Bourg was born on September 17,1949 in New Orleans, LA. Pam met the love of her life, Wilson Charles Bourg III, in high school. Marrying after college, Pam moved with Wilson around the country following his medical doctor training in the military. Pam and Wilson enjoyed many great adventures along the way camping and exploring when they could. They spent time in Georgia, Massachusetts, Washington, and Colorado. Pam often spoke fondly about being a Boston resident. In Boston, she got to spend time with an uncle she adored and learned how to row and ski. Ambitious and determined, Pam also earned an MS in nursing during her stay. As soon as Pam and Wilson saw the mountains of Colorado, they fell in love. Wilson retired from the military so they could stay and raise their family spending as much time as they could skiing, hiking, and biking up and down the Rocky Mountains.

Dr. Pam Bourg loved the mountains. She dedicated over 35 years to Copper Mountain Ski Patrol as a medical volunteer and volunteer coordinator. All of her children learned to ski by the time they were five. She instilled a deep love for the vistas they summited by foot and bike. Pam might have been born by the sea, but the mountains were deep in her heart.

Colorado offered her the opportunity to pursue her athletic goals. She trained for triathlon after triathlon, and even trained and ran in the New York City Marathon.

Dr. Pam Bourg grew her professional accomplishments in Denver as well. She led nursing and Emergency teams as well as served as a hospital administrator. She wrote and published in her field, in addition to serving on several local government health boards.

Pam was tough and resolute in her accomplishments. Nothing was going to stop her from achieving greatness. When Pam was young she had dreamt of being a marine biologist, but she was advised to pursue nursing because of gender bias. Pam Bourg found meaning and purpose in this career. Working tirelessly with patients, she discovered a deep compassion and was determined to make emergency medicine more attentive and aware. She eventually pursued her doctorate in nursing from Arizona University. Her PhD research on frailty in 2016 only motivated her more to continue researching new protocols and medicines that could have major impacts on the lives of patients.

Pam was ambitious, driven, and always moving but she was surprisingly good at taking time to slow down and savor moments. She enjoyed traveling and brought her daughters to Europe and Australia. Pam got the same thrills from climbing the stairs of cathedrals as she had from summiting mountain tops.

She was also an expert gardener and created tranquil spaces and took pleasure in basking in the glow of the sunset over the Rocky Mountains. She loved “dolce far niente”: the pleasure of doing nothing. Quiet moments on the patio sharing a glass of wine with Pam were cherished moments for family and friends.

She was an accomplished home chef. Her meatballs and spaghetti will forever make her iconic among her grandchildren. She loved to make family and friends smile with a delicious bite often inspired by her New Orleans roots or her Italian grandfather.

Dr. Pam Bourg, 74, unexpectedly passed away on May 14, 2024. Pamela is survived by her son Wilson Charles Bourg IV, daughter Dr. Dominique Bourg Hacker, and daughter Noel J. Bourg. She was grandmother to Xavier Hacker, Ona Hacker, Pepper Abuhoff, and Hazel Abuhoff, who all knew her affectionately as PamPam.

Dr. Pam Bourg is preceded in death by her beloved husband Dr. Wilson Charles Bourg III, her sister Judith Wilkinson Giorlando, and her brother Michael J. Wilkinson.

A Celebration of Life will be held July 28th at 2:00pm at Skylight, 833 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 80204.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in her memory to:

Association for Women in Science

Palestine Children’s Relief Fund

Lilith Fund