Pamela Jean Reuss, 72, passed away Wednesday, December 2, at home, due to cancer complications. Born to Wyatt and Loretta Thompson, June 3, 1948 in the District of Columbia. Pam and her family (brother, Wyatt and sister, Donna) lived in Japan, twice in Germany and in several Northern Virginia locations during her school age years. Upon completion of four years at Munich America High School, Pam became an airline stewardess to experience the remainder of the world she may have missed. After several years of flying and realizing that family and home life was more to her liking she came back home and attained an administrative position at the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley Virginia. It was during this time she met Robert, a newly commissioned Army officer, they were married and the adventure started up again.

Not having grasped enough of Europe, she and husband Robert were immediately assigned to Germany for the first of three tours spread over the course of the next several decades. Pam loved travel and shopping for the specialty items that were to be found all over Europe. She was a frequent passenger on those ladies’ shopping tours that found all the “bargains” that everyone just had to have. Pam loved to travel and expertly guided her family all over the continent at every opportunity.

Pam fit perfectly into the military spouse role and became an essential contributor to the Army community. For over thirty years she volunteered for many of the efforts that made military family life “more like back home”. She loved working in the family medical clinics and served as a dental assistant for numerous years on different tours. In addition to formal dental assisting training, Pam attended college, when and where she could, and proudly earned her Associate’s Degree in 1984. She was a Girl Scout leader and den mother while balancing the demands of being an “Army wife”. Demands like moving nineteen times – including several by herself, with 4 children.

Pam was a devoted wife and mother – beautiful, intelligent, talented and full of life. Her laugh was infectious and musical, she could literally light up a room. Whether it was Tina Turner or the Animals – she had music in her heart and was the light of our lives even during the darkest times. Pam expertly raised four wonderful children (Laura, Bryan, Craig and Erin) without much assistance, as is typical for military spouses. She was the epitome of a loving wife, mother and grandmother of four (Caleb, Chase, Lena and Giana) for more than 49 years. Pam conducted all life’s roles with grace and dignity and almost total disregard for the many personal challenges life presented her. She gallantly fought her last fight with the unwavering support and great care from the entire team at Riverside Hospital. Pam was special and will always be remembered and rightly missed.