She was born at Sister’s Hospital in Santa Cruz, California, June 1, 1947, and christened Pamela Maureen Sharp, the second girl to Jack M. Sharp, MD and Phoebe C. Sharp. Their father, a practicing physician in Santa Cruz, moved there after World War II. One of his specialties was as an obstetrician so he may well have been there for her birth.
Pam had an idyllic childhood with much of her early childhood spent with four siblings at the family’s ranch in Coralitis. There, she could have the run of the 200 acres, apples and plums and ride her bike down the long private road. She learned to shoot from her Dad, and occasionally rode horses.
Pam graduated from Santa Cruz High School and was usually on the honor roll. After high school, she attended Santa Barbara University. She married while in school and had two daughters, Gwin and Elizabeth. She took time out from school to raise her daughters.
Pam worked for different physicians and at Dominican Hospital, Santa Cruz, the same hospital where her father and now her brother, Roland, practices. As her dream was to be a registered nurse, she graduated from nursing school at Hartnell College in Salinas, California.
Pam moved from California to Missouri taking her two small girls and furthered her education attending Central Methodist College in Missouri and graduating as a nurse practitioner. She bought an amazing piece of sacred land in Missouri with a rock quarry and forests. She loved her land, swimming in the quarry on hot Missouri summer days, hiking in the woods and watching the birds. She loved animals and felt her land was their untouched refuge.
As her girls became independent, her love of California drew her back to Santa Cruz and Capitola, eventually settling in Idyllwild, where she dedicated her nursing skills to providing compassionate health care to the residents.
Both of her daughters graduated from college, having the same thirst for education of which she was proud. She returned to the Midwest, spending time with her grandson Quinn. Being the first person to care for Quinn aside from his parents, a strong loving bond developed between the two of them. He called her “Nana” and she loved him as dearly as he adored her. Once Quinn reached age 10 she returned to the Idyllwild community with her nursing expertise. She genuinely cared for every patient and was dearly loved by them. She had a very wonderful sense of humor that her patients adored. She was the epitome of a free spirit.
Her father and her mother predeceased her. She leaves four sisters and brothers, Barbara Sharp (Jay) Buckert and Diana G. Sharp, both of Washington, Roland C. (Rosy) Sharp, MD, of California, John F. Sharp, of Wisconsin; her two loving daughters, Pamela Gwin Coleman and Elizabeth Theodora Bryan; and her darling little grandson, Quinn Tyler Bryan. Her daughters came from the Midwest and cared for her while she was ill. She also leaves many nieces, grandnieces and a grandnephew. Pam knew all her cousins and had a special and close relationship with all of them.
In lieu of flowers the family would like people to donate to the Lung Cancer Society or a charity of their choice.
Pam will be interred in Victoria, British Columbia, at Ross Bay Cemetery, beside her mother and grandmother. A memorial service will be held there on her birthday.
For those that knew this kind spirit in Idyllwild, a memorial gathering will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday April 11, at the home of Pete and Suzy Capparrelli, 53700 Idyllbrook Drive, Idyllwild. Please stop by to hear and share memories of Pam.