On my way home from the only week I was gone for the last 5 months, I looked so forward to going to see my Pam. When we stopped to rest for the night in Lone Pine, I saw Skip's text and found myself completely crushed. There were so many times, we almost got together, and then something would happen, and yet, I will forever hold Pam in my heart as the daughter I never had.  Here's what I shared on my FB page, especially for Skip, Chris, Danielle, and Hannah:

This beautiful young girl was most special to me because I was blessed to have been her Basic Ed teacher, but was also able to offer her support as a surrogate Mom throughout high school and beyond for the past 46 years. She was even my very first babysitter for my son born in 1977. Interestingly, I kept all of the letters and cards she wrote me during the end of her 8th grade year throughout high school and we laughed and cried rereading them several times. She especially found a difficult time losing her Dad (at age 42 years old and she at only 19), but Pam found the love of her life Skip Carter and eventually had two beautiful children, whom she could not talk about enough with pride and pure love.

It was barely a year ago that her husband Skip connected with her closest dear friends and myself that she was just diagnosed with ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease. It was a sudden onset and we knew that is was a fatal disease that robs the victim of the freedom to walk, to talk, to run and dance. To laugh. To hug. To eat. To breathe. Her symptoms affected her uniquely in that she was prematurely unable to eat and lost the ability to talk; yet, she was able to communicate via texting, emailing and keeping in touch on FB. There were times, late at night, I would get a little ring tone and there she was saying ‘hi’ and checking in. We laughed about sometimes feeling that we were the only ones in the world awake ‘text talking’ and always felt so blessed to be connected with our only way of communicating – through writing.

I will forever treasure our times together: whether it was talking, emailing, texting, meeting for lunches, and even when talking was so difficult, going to a movie together. I was so looking forward to seeing her when I returned from my only time away in 5 months, only to find that this terrible disease took her from us, far too soon. Pam was the epitome of a cherished loving and supportive friend; I am beyond crushed as I write this. Yet I am so grateful to have known her, only wishing she was able to meet her grandson who will be born in October. For you, Pam, it was your genuine kind and compassionate heart that all who knew you will never forget -- that part you fully lived -- the 'dash' between your birth date, and tearfully :cry:, the date we lost your beautiful soul into the arms of our Lord.  I love you more, sweet girl!! :heart::heart::heart:

Pam’s Potatoes are part of every family get together and always will be :heart:

Miller Jones Mortuary Hemet

Pamela Carter

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Pamela Lynn Carter

March 25, 1961 – July 26, 2020

Miller Jones Mortuary and Crematory

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