Pam Adams passed away last night after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Born Pamela Fuhry, Pam grew up in Mequon in a home overlooking Lake Michigan. She was a graduate of Homestead High School and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Pam was the mother of three sons. She was so proud of her boys, all of whose names began with G (Greg, Garett and Garrison), that her personal email address was “3gforce@***.com.” She was preceded in death by her son Garrison. Garrison’s Glen Park is named after him.
Pam was funny, and fun-loving. She loved to go out for beer and peanuts after meetings. She loved city parades, and city festivals. She loved going to the lake, and to meet for dinner, and to have hot tub parties, and to have a few adult beverages. She was in love with her companion Michael Spooner.
Pam was proud to serve Mequon.
Elected in the 1990s, Pam was, I believe, the second longest-serving member in the history of Mequon’s Common Council. She survived several election challenges because she knew her district, worked hard as an alderman and out-campaigned her opponents. She was fiercely protective of her district. She recognized that change was inevitable, but strived to retain what she saw as the character of Mequon. She was one of the founders of the Mequon Community Foundation, and she served on the Mequon Tree Board since its inception. She was generally fiscally conservative, and cautious (to put it delicately) when it came to new development. Pam always wanted to know what “the neighbors” thought and, more often than not, deferred to them.
Despite the ravages of her cancer over the past several years, Pam made almost all of her city meetings, and was prepared and engaged. She was at a meeting a couple of weeks ago. Sometimes, you could tell it was difficult for her. She had known for a couple of years that her cancer was not going away, but she flew all over the country to get whatever treatments she could. She had multiple surgeries, and bouts of chemo, and other treatments. She was a cancer warrior.
Pam and I agreed sometimes, and disagreed at others. Occasionally, we directed our comments at each other. That is not exactly how it is supposed to be done, but it was more out of respect than anything else.
Despite our disagreements, Pam was my friend. I will miss her. Her family and friends will miss her. And Mequon will miss her.
Rest in peace, Pam. You made a real difference.
This news is very disturbing. While I also didn’t agree with her on everything, her opinions were valid and earned for all she has done for our community. Rest in peace.
Pam was a real genuine character. She will be missed but not forgotten. She was respected for her hard work and dedication. She possessed a passion for trying to find solutions that would be in the city’s best interest. The entire city has benefited from her years of experience and her unwavering commitment to do what’s right. Mequon owes a great debt of gratitude, our city would not be in the wonderful shape it is without her influences. I will miss her.