Pamela Jean Tennison was born August 18, 1962 in Chicago, the third of six children. She lived there until her sophomore year in high school when the family moved to Deerfield, Illinois for two years, another move put her in California where she was graduated from Acalanes High in 1980. After graduation she went to UC Davis and earned a degree in sociology. Pam worked a year in a banking office to save money for law school. She received her Juris Doctor from UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. While there, she was on the law review and was an outstanding student. She did an internship with a law firm in Los Angeles and clerked for a well-know federal judge. After passing the bar on her first try, she practiced corporate law in San Francisco and did pro bono work for others less fortunate.
In 1998, in a complete career change she started teaching in Antioch, first substitute teaching then as a full time elementary teacher. She taught until March 2013, giving her all to her students. She spent countless hours on week nights, weekends, and vacations planning and doing whatever she could for her students. She was an exemplary teacher who not only taught well but truly made her children feel loved and cared for at school and beyond.
Pam’s love of travel probably began in the family motor home as we traveled the country in summertime. As an adult she visited the Caribbean and Club Meds. For work she traveled to Washington D.C., New York, Monterey, San Diego, and Los Angeles to name a few. She enjoyed weekend getaways with friends to places like Pitt River, Auburn, Murphys, Shasta, and ski trips to Tahoe, Utah and Colorado when she could fit them in. In the last year of her life she checked off places on her Bucket List--Italy, Paris, Michigan, and Disneyland, plus some repeats like Yosemite and New York.
Some of Pam's favorite activities were dancing, live concerts, theater, having fun with friends and wine tasting. Pam was the first in the family to learn square dancing, but only for a short period of time, then she went line dancing, ballroom dancing and to clubs and danced with her many friends. She thoroughly enjoyed summertime concerts and had season tickets to various live theaters with friends and family for over 15 years. Season passes to Marine World and/or Great America were another of her summertime passions, as well as costumed croquet games and wine tasting with friends in Napa, Sonoma and Livermore Valleys.
For 3½ years Pam fought her disease with dignity, passion and zest for life. She did not allow cancer to stop her from having fun and doing her job--which was also to have fun and to help others. Her grace while fighting this battle inspired all who knew her..
In 2012 we celebrated her 50th Birthday with a big party for her friends. She had a grand time. Party photos. In the fall, we took the previously postponed trip to Italy--Pam, Bev, and Mom--where we visited Rome, Pompeii, Naples, Florence, Pisa, Asissi, San Gimiagnano, Florence, Bologna, and Venice.
After receiving that final diagnosis, Pam was anxious to finish off some more items on her Bucket List. So, she visited with friends at a dinner party at her sister, Gail's. Then she and Gail took a week-end trip to Yosemite to visit those spectacular sites. She traveled to Michigan with her parents to visit her baby brother, Paul, and his family. And after returning she spent time with sister, Bev, and her children, Selina and Rico going up on Mount Diablo and visiting the Oakland Zoo. Photos here.
Pam wasn't finished yet--she went to New York City with her brother, Mark, to see the sights and attend some Broadway shows; visited Disneyland with sister, Bev, and Selina and Rico; did a second tandem skydive with her brother, Mark; and flew to Paris with Gail and Paul.
On June 28, 2013 Pam lost her battle with the cancer that she had fought so valiantly. Pam loved life, having fun, loved children and was a true friend to those who were fortunate enough to know her. Her friends and family miss her dearly, but we know she is in a better place and is free of the suffering of the last years. Rest in peace, dearest Pam, and may God, the angels and the saints forever watch over you.