Pamela V. Robertson's Obituary
Pam was born in Great Britain on 5 July 1930 to William and Violet Syrett. She met and married Walter B. “Robbie” Robertson, an American Airman stationed in England in 1953. Pam traveled with Robbie to assignments in Florida during the Cuban missile crisis, (where she spent a year on her own while Robbie did a one-year tour in Alaska), back to England for five years, then off to Montana for three years, on to Kansas for a year while Robbie served a tour in Vietnam, and finally coming to Lakewood WA where they settled with the three girls born during their travels, Glenda, Gail and Kim. We grew up hearing stories about England during World War II, mom’s family owned a petrol station, sweet shoppe and newspaper business. She used to deliver newspapers on her way to school each morning, pumped gas and waited on customers after school and weekends. We girls grew up with a traditional, very independent, hard-working, female role model, a stay-at-home mom until we were out of high school, mom held our family together during those one-year absences of her spouse. That first year with dad in Alaska could not have been easy for her with three little girls under 3 years old, and far from her own family. The year Robbie was in Vietnam, Pam was busy learning about American history and government, determined to have her US citizenship when he returned…mission accomplished! Pam and a few other friends she met through the British Wives’ Club was a founding member of St Alban’s Anglican Church. A loving and patient Nana to all her grandchildren, her willingness to care for this next generation built lasting and happy relationships…those children now have children of their own and wonderful memories of their time with Nana and Granddad. After the grandkids were ready for school, Pam went to work selling shoes at JC Penney in the Lakewood Mall and later worked at a small yarn shop until dad was diagnosed with cancer. She stayed home to nurse Robbie until he passed in May 1999. When mom suffered a heart attack, she made a great recovery and still insisted on cutting her own ½-acre lawn! She had that same tough attitude after her hip replacement—determined not to use a chair in the shower (she preferred baths anyway!) the shower chair would often be found in the backyard! In her later years, Pam continued to spend her summer days working in her garden;cutting the lawn, weeding the flower beds, pruning fruit trees, the winter days were filled with working crosswords, doing jigsaw puzzles and making Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls for Toys for Tots. We delivered three boxes to the Marine collection point the last year she was able to make them. Pam is survived by Glenda (William) Smith, Gail Friermuth, Beverly Kim Jones (Kevin), 7 grandchildren, Michelle, Douglas, Tommy, Tracy, Katrina, Brandon and Chanel, and 7 great-grandchildren, Douglas Jr, Skylar, Samantha, Izzi, Eve, Cameron and Hayden. We will forever miss and remember this amazing woman with love, respect and gratitude.
~Always in our hearts
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