Pamela Marie Workman

She was born in Seattle, WA on April 18, 1946 and was raised on Mercer Island, WA. Pam's childhood, in a family with four children, was marked by mischievous, imaginative fun, along with many adventures with her siblings. She is survived by her youngest sister Celine Wagner, with whom many of those adventures took place. Pam was very much a care-giver to her sister Celine and truly was her angel and saving grace.

Pam attended Mercer Island High School and during this time is where she met and dated her future husband Tom Workman. Pam graduated from high school in 1965 and went on to attend Seattle University from 1965-1967. In June of 1967 Pam married Tom Workman and chose to put her education on hold to become a wife and mother.

Tom's professional basketball career took them around the country, living in multiple cities often for very short durations of time. In fact, all three of their children were born in different states. Julie was born in St. Louis, Missouri, Brent was born in Inglewood, CA and Lisa was born in Portland, OR. That time in Pam's life certainly helped to shape her grace and patience that is very much part of her legacy.

Pam is survived by her children Julie Crist, Brent Workman, and Lisa Fisher. Pam created a home and upbringing for Julie, Brent, and Lisa filled with love, warmth, and security. She was a master seamstress and taught her children the value of homecooked and family meals together. There were always homemade cookies in the cookie jar, treats in the pantry, and jam in the freezer. In fact, Pam was a second mother to many of her children's friends, including her nephew Michael.

Her heart for children was evidenced by her many hours spent as a room mom at Wilkes Elementray School and teaching Sunday School, most recently at Beaverton Foursquare Church. Their family childhood memories are filled with vacations to Pam's father's home on Camano Island. Pam was the ultimate soccer, volleyball, softball, and basketball mom and cheerleader with her 2 handed-in-the-air fist pump as she supported all of her children in their various sports activities.

In her early 30's Pam was diagnosed with a rare tumor in her pituitary gland known as Cushing's Disease. During that time of significant health issues is when Pam accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior. That one decision Pam made, to give her life over to Christ almost 40 years ago, is what gives her family and friends peace in knowing she is with our Father in Heaven. We not only have the opportunity to celebrate Pam's life, but celebrate who Jesus was in her life.

22 years after Pam had last been in a college classroom, when her children were teenagers and in college, Pam went back to school and received an Associates Degree from Mt. Hood Community College in 1989. Forever the perfectionist and hard worker, she graduated with a perfect 4.0 in all her classes and in no doubt negatively affected the grading curve for many of her classmates. From there she began her career in the medical field as a Medical Assistant and then went on to be a Research Coordinator finishing her career with the Providence Oregon Osteoporosis Center.

Pam is survived by her 6 grandchildren: Conner and Carson Crist, Ella and Kylie Fisher, and Jackson and Graham Arnold. She is known as G.P. (Grandma Pam) and Nana Pam. Her gentle spirit and kind, loving touch brought so much love and joy to her grandchildren. As her grandchildren in turn gave her so much joy. Hours upon hours were spent reading, singing songs, playing games, coloring and the list goes on an on....she was a "get down on the floor to play" kind of grandma. Her grandchildren are blessed to have had their GP and Nana Pam very much a special and integral part of their lives and memories.

Pam is survived by her sons-in-laws Todd Crist and Toby Fisher, and daughter-in-law Debbie Workman. Both Todd and Toby lived with in the Workman home, at different time spans post-college, and Debbie officially joined the Workman family in August of last year. Pam loved and cared for each them just as much as if they were her own children.

Pam's life and legacy is vey much defined by the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." She will forever be remembered by her love, generosity, gentle smile and Christ-like character.