Pamela M. Whatley

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Pamela Martinez Whatley on September 17, 2023. In her 80 years with us, she was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was married to James Wade Whatley who preceded her in death by in 2021. She met James in high school in Picayune, Mississippi. After he joined the Navy, she became his betrothed and married him on June 29, 1963. From there, a grand adventure began.

After little more than a year, they welcomed Laura to the family, followed in two years by Cheryl, and finally Wade another two years later. It was at this point that she had fully taken on the duty of Navy wife and dependent mother. The family was now complete, and they would follow each other across the globe to visit fantastic and amazing places.

As an adult looking back on the years she took raising us, there is only one word I know that truly describes her – amazing. She was a loving and dutiful wife, many times needing to take on the role of both parents when our father was away. She was a troop leader and den mother to three Girl Scouts and one Cub Scout (you read that right). She would learn as much as she could about each new duty station we moved to so nothing was new or surprising. She always made sure we knew the area enough on our own each time we moved so she knew we would be comfortable, confident, and safe.

Her awe for the beauty around us was infectious and taught us each to never take for granted what was in front of us. Her love for the arts trickled down to each of us in different ways – from theater to music, fine arts to antiquities, and the culinary, she took the most of each and shared with us what she loved most.

A consummate learner, she took on the challenge of taking up new languages, even taking a turn teaching English to Japanese adults for a while. She was an avid connoisseur of food and drink from far and wide and would learn to cook food from many cultures. Her love of food and wine led her to be a phenomenal host of the best squadron parties to be found. She was the life of the party, always ready with a joke and a laugh, and rarely met a person she didn’t like.

While her latter years were not nearly as adventurous or exciting, the memory of everything she had done was always with her. Conversations were filled with, “Oh! Remember in Japan when we rode to…”, or “I can’t forget when we went to Maui and…”. With Mom, there was always a memory to share. And it’s not just the three of us. We each have our own shared memories, and as we look back on her life, we should always remember the moments with her that brought us the most joy. The memories that are stronger. For me, her joy of life and sense of adventure have always led me to try new things and never say no to an experience. For each of you reading this, you will each have your own memory. These are what we cling to in these times. This is how she should be remembered.

Goodbye, Mother. You are loved and missed. Until we meet again.

“Well, you know

Someday, we're all gonna leave here

Maybe sooner than we wanted

It's special because it's fleeting

All of the things that we did

What do we leave behind us?

Something that will remind them

Something to make them smile

When they think about it…”

- David J. Matthews

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.EasternGateMemorial.com for the Whatley family.