Pamela Christine Gormley (née Conn), 72, of Brunswick passed peacefully from the embrace of her family into the arms of her Creator on January 7, following a long battle with complications from congestive heart failure.

Pam is survived by her husband of 47 years, Mal; her eldest child, KJ, and spouse Ian; her daughter Quinn and husband Ezra; and her grandson, Terrence. She is also survived by her siblings Debbie, Cyndee, Ricky, and Alan, as well as a large and loving chosen family-her "strays"-people she gathered throughout her life who needed a mom or a family, and whom Pam welcomed with open arms.

Pam was born and raised in the Bronx. She grew up on Morris Avenue near 183rd ST, in a two-bedroom, fourth-story walk-up, where her grandfather was the superintendent, her father was a milkman and, later, a gas station owner. At the same time, her mother worked in various retail positions and as a church musician. Pam excelled in school and was a feared presence on neighborhood and school basketball courts. She spent much of her free time at the New York Public Library.

Her love of books led Pam to her first career at The Reader's Digest headquarters in Pleasantville, N.Y., where she worked nights in the company's state-of-the-art computer center while putting herself through college at the City University of New York. It was at the Digest that she met Mal, sharing lunches and falling for one another. Mal's career included being a commercial pilot and editor.

Anyone who worked with Pam knew she was a force of nature; her time in the company's massive data systems led to a rapid rise through the organization, culminating in her role as Senior Vice President for Logistics and Marketing Systems, with extensive worldwide travels in that capacity.

As Pam told the story, the day after Quinn was born, her doctors informed her that she had terminal melanoma and only months to live. She replied simply, "No." She had 32 more years. Pam and Mal, who married in 1978, uprooted their lives and relocated to Damariscotta, Maine, in 1994, where they focused on raising their young children and building a home together. When Pam later went looking for work again, she did so with a familiar goal-to, as she often put it, "be a useful engine."

That search led her to what she considered the crowning achievement of her professional life: Skidompha Public Library. Pam worked on the capital campaign that made the current library possible and was appointed Executive Director shortly thereafter, a role she held for two decades. Pam believed deeply in the power of libraries to meet basic human needs, celebrate the arts and humanities, and foster connection. She viewed the library as both the community's living room and as part of a larger calling to serve as "custodians of society."

Pam's tenure at Skidompha was marked by innovation, achievement, and deep affection for her colleagues. Under her leadership, the library received numerous awards, including the highest honor in the field, the National Medal for Library Service. Pam traveled to the White House to receive the medal from First Lady Laura Bush in 2008.

Pam's commitment to community extended far beyond the walls of the library. She served on nonprofit boards across the Midcoast, from Heartwood Theater Company and Lincoln Theater to the Carpenter's Boat Shop and Stepping Stones. Her leadership was often sought by organizations navigating periods of challenge or pursuing ambitious growth. Pam also served as a member and later chair of the Great Salt Bay School Board in the early 2000s, where she oversaw significant expansion and construction projects and helped secure an inclusive benefits package that extended coverage to same-sex domestic partners of school employees.

Pam's drive for service was rooted in her faith. Her faith life was centered at Second Congregational Church in Newcastle for nearly 30 years, where she played many roles-cooking Wednesday night suppers, chairing the Deacons, leading the church through its Open and Affirming process, and ringing handbells in the Bell Choir, which brought her particular joy.

Pam was a person of deep wonder, which she explored through art, music, and travel. She visited at least 27 countries across five continents, attended the Munich Olympics, summited Machu Picchu, stood on the continental divide in Iceland, and traveled through Palestine. After retirement, she undertook a six-week road trip around the United States in search of "all the elephants I can find," reflecting her lifelong love of the creatures. Many of these travels were shared with friends and family, especially her eldest child, KJ.

Music was a constant in Pam's life. The daughter of a church organist, she was an accomplished musician herself, though she insisted she preferred being a spectator. She raised her children to treat orchestra concerts the way others treat football games. Pam played handbells (mastering four-in-hand), piano, and organ-teaching keyboard skills to her daughter Quinn-and was an all-city musician on bass and trumpet in her youth. A proud alto, she also sang in many choirs.

Pam was not one to remain still. Retirement did not suit her for long, and she soon embarked on what she called her "encore career," leading a nonprofit that placed unhoused teenagers with host families and supported them in completing high school and transitioning to adulthood. Through this work, by happy accident, Pam met her grandson. When Terrence, a young person in need of emergency placement, was placed with Quinn and Ezra, he quickly became family. Pam delighted in celebrating his adoption this past July and described Terrence as "the frosting on the cake of her life."

Pam was a devoted and loving mother. She and Mal made childhood joyful and curious while fostering ambition and confidence in their children. Though she sometimes needed a moment to catch up on the right words, Pam embraced the work of affirming and raising two sparkly children with gusto. Her home was often a refuge for other young people who needed a mom who loved them for who they were.

Pam leaves behind a remarkable legacy of love, service, faith, and accomplishment-carried forward in the institutions she strengthened, the communities she served, and the many people whose lives were made better because she was in them.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Pam's memory to the Mabel Wadsworth Center in Bangor, ME.

A funeral will be held at the 2nd Congregational Church of Newcastle, ME at 2pm on January 24th.