Pamela A. Blass, 81

Pamela Anne Blass, 81, passed peacefully away, with loved ones at her side, at her home in Sagle, Idaho, on Dec. 22, 2006, at the age of 81.

She was born Pamela Anne Miller in Van Nuys, Calif., on Dec. 4, 1925, to Herbert and Sarah Payne Miller, and was the youngest of four children. Her siblings were Laurence Herbert W. Miller, Dorothy Louise (Craver Nelson) and Patricia Ruth (Nupen). All have since preceded her in death. She was very close to all three, as well as to her mother, and never stopped missing them.

At the age of 3 1/2, in the summer of 1929, Pam, her mother, and siblings came to Glengary, Idaho, to visit her grandparents, Herber and Charlotta Payne, who owned and operated the store and post office at Glengary Bay. It was here that the Miller children spent the rest of their childhoods, attending Meadowlark School, a one-room schoolhouse at the corner of Glengary Bay and Martin Bay Roads. In addition, the four "Miller Kids" had an "adopted" set of siblings: the four "McLean Kids," also of Glengary Bay — totaling eight beloved lifelong family bonds.

At the age of 13, after graduating from Meadowlark, Pam and her family moved from the tranquility of Glengary to start new lives in Republic, Seattle and finally, Bremerton, Wash., where Pam's new stepfather, Douglas Freeman, had various jobs during World War II. Pam graduated from high school in Bremerton in 1944, in addition to working there at the Roxy Theatre as usherette and cashier. Later, she moved with her sisters to Spokane, Wash., where they shared an apartment for a short time, as all three women worked and/or attended college.

In 1945, Pam took a trip with her sister Dorothy to Grand Island, Neb., to visit Dorothy's husband, Woodrow Craver, who was stationed there at the Army Air Corps base. It was there that Pam met the love of her life and future husband of 59 years, James "Jimmy" Blass. He was Woody Craver's best friend and the handsome, worldly musician and band director of the Army Air Corps Band. It was love at first sight for both, and after a year of long-distance courtship and the end of World War II, they eloped to Reno, Nev., and were married on June 15, 1946.

Jimmy then took Pam to San Francisco, Calif., from where he hailed, and where they made their home. It was quite a culture shock for this wide-eyed country girl, but she blended in gracefully and became not only a wonderful and devoted wife, but also Jimmy's beautiful, red-haired and velvet-voiced lead singer in his own "Jimmy Blass Orchestra," which enjoyed a loyal and enormous following of ballroom dancers for 50-plus years throughout the San Francisco Bay area.

In 1974, Pam was forced to end her singing career due to an onslaught of respiratory problems. However, she was actually relieved to at last be able to be a full-time mom to her then 11-year-old daughter, Kristine. Pam was the most loving, nurturing, creative, fun and wonderful mother anyone could be blessed to have. Her roles of wife and mother, she excelled in second to none. She also was a fantastic cook, seamstress, gardener, writer, sketch artist and decorator.

Pam's poor respiratory health determined one more move in her life: back to her roots in her beloved Glengary, Idaho. Although she and Kristine (and later Jimmy) visited North Idaho every summer, Pam never stopped yearning to be permanently back home on "The Lake." So, in 1983, she and Jimmy began their labor of love in building her dream log home on land dating back to her grandparents, the Paynes, where she enjoyed the rest of her years.

However, at the age of 87, Jimmy, after suffering a stroke, passed away on April 2, 2005, at this same home with Pam and his loved ones by his side. Pam also was very ill at this time with emphysema and, very recently and suddenly, with lung cancer, which ultimately took her life.

Pam "Pinkie" Blass was a rare, golden-hearted lady. She loved her family, nature and animals beyond measure, was fiercely independent, loyal, thoughtful, genuine, dynamic, talented, intelligent, had a great sense of humor and fun, and was the embodiment of pure love and goodness. All of her surviving family and friends will forever and greatly love, miss and remember her. (Rest peacefully, sweet Mama. You're free now with everyone in Heaven; and we all love you so very much.)

A memorial service will be held at a much later date. In the meantime, if donations are wished to be made in Pam's memory, please consider Hospice (to which the family has unending gratitude) or any animal shelter.

Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements.