Pam died on Sunday 14th August 2022 after a long illness, aged 90. She was the oldest child of Harry and Thora Chivers, born on a small farm in Efail Isaf in South Wales on 13th April 1932. When she was 7 the family moved to Chelmsford, England which became her home base as she lived at various times in South Africa, the U.S.A. and finally Canada. Part of her teenage years were spent with her maternal grandparents in South Africa, where her grandfather, an operatic tenor with D’Oyly Carte, had retired.
Back in England she met and married an American G.I., and moved to the USA Bay area, where she cared for her two children, Linda and Robert, worked as a doctor’s receptionist, and began one of her major loves as an actress in a professional repertory theatre in San Francisco, where she played such parts as Alison in Look Back in Anger, and Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire. One performance of ASND was made memorable by the presence in the front row of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, who had played the part herself.
When her marriage ended, she returned to Chelmsford and combined two passions by turning to musical theatre, which she performed with two Chelmsford companies and in other nearby cities, usually playing second lead as her voice was in the mezzo-alto range. A serious knee operation impaired her mobility and brought her theatrical career to an end.
Having remarried, she moved to London Ontario in 1970 and found work as a store manager, using her training to convince employers of her previous experience: no-one ever questioned her ability. She managed the Shirley K store when it opened in the old Wellington Square Mall, where she was the only woman on the Board of Directors. Later she managed the Family Fair department store on Highbury, but had to quit when her arthritis worsened. She had around 20 surgical procedures in all over the ensuing years.
Never one to give up, she found a niche writing medical and fashion articles for “Great Expectations,” started a successful floral and wedding consulting business, and exhibited at craft shows until she was no longer mobile. She was a strong woman long before it was fashionable.
She leaves behind her husband James, children Linda Long and Robert White, brothers Ray Chivers (Maureen), Mike Chivers(Ann), sister Pat, brother-in-law Ken Keddie (Maria) and many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by her parents, brothers Donald and David, and her dear niece Maria.
During the last four years she was cheered by visits from PSWs from St Elizabeth’s, and Paramed, underpaid and undervalued but not unloved — too many to mention, but they know who they are and how they helped. In the last week the VON Eshift provided dignified invaluable round-the-clock care and comfort. Dr Elena Matusa gave up a great deal of her valuable time to provide sage and caring advice and treatment for which Pam was truly grateful. The visiting nurse because of her regular visits and ability to relieve distress can be the most important visitor a patient gets, and we were lucky to have the best in Shainy Joy. Pam loved her for her gentle touch, unflappability, broad medical knowledge, and outstanding wound care.
Cremation has taken place, and there will be no funeral service.