Pamela Forness Gordon

Pamela Jeanne Forness Gordon, age 68, of Burke, Virginia, passed away at her home, on February 10, 2021, after a courageous, eighteen-month long battle with cancer. She is survived by her only child, Chiara Nicole Glass, her son-in-law Christopher Glass of Burke, VA, and her granddaughter Savannah Jeanne. She is also survived by her brother, Douglas Forness; her sister Michele Malmstrom; her stepmother Lynda Forness; her dear friends Deborah and Achi Tsepal; and her beloved extended family, whom she was devoted to and supported in innumerable ways: her three nephews Bryan Ziegler and his wife Allie; David Malmstrom and his wife Kelly Cain their children, Alana, Caleb, Zyla, and Lincoln; Sean Malmstrom and his son Michael; and her niece, Brittany Gearing and her daughter, Scarlett. She is preceded in death by her father, Donald Forness, and her mother, Shirley Forness (née Selph). Pam was born on June 28, 1952 in Bellevue, IL, to parents Donald Forness and Shirley Forness. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts in Education. Before long, her direction changed with a career as a Conference Manager and Journal Editor at The Society for Imaging Science and Technology, where she worked for more than 30 years and traveled the world. Her life was a life of service to her family and many others. Pam was both selfless and had a high moral character; always putting the needs of others ahead of her own. She had many interests including politics, philosophy, world religions, and was an avid reader. She traveled to Kenya in 1987 with her church to help build a vocational school which has evolved to aiding subsistence farming and survival living and which is still operating to this day. She loved family gatherings, especially Thanksgiving. Her family and friends will always remember her as the matriarch of her extended family. She was a generous and genuine loving daughter, wife, mother, sister, aunt and friend. She will always be dearly missed. Due to Covid-19, and at Pam’s request, no services will be held. Donations may be made in her honor to Bread For The World or So Others Might Eat, Washington, D.C.