Pamela Bryant Appleton

Pamela Bryant Appleton passed away peacefully on Friday, December 22nd at Centennial Hospital surrounded by her loving family. She was born on December 6th, 1948 in Nashville, TN. She attended Antioch High School (1966), where she met her loving husband, Charles. She graduated from Middle Tennessee State University, with a bachelor’s degree in Education, and earned her master’s degree from Tennessee State University.

She was a lifelong teacher, who loved educating and mentoring children. She started her career teaching at W.A. Bass Middle School. Afterward, she spent most of her career at Pearl High School/Pearl-Cohn Comprehensive High School, teaching math and science. Aside from her teaching responsibilities, she was always an active supporter of the sports and booster programs there. She served as a long-time sponsor of the girls’ cheerleading squad, and later as one of the first female assistant football coaches in TSSAA history. During her tenure at Pearl Cohn, she was awarded Teacher of the Year for Metro Nashville Public Schools and was received at the White House by President Bill Clinton. After Pearl-Cohn, she was excited to return as a teacher to her alma mater, Antioch High School teaching students and mentoring teachers as an Academy Coach.

Pam was always a very kind, energetic, and cheerful person. She was a “do-er”, a problem-solver, was quick-witted and always enjoyed helping others. She loved listening to music, attending concerts and going to the beach with her family and friends. She was a Titans fan and enjoyed tailgating on Sundays! She also enjoyed spending time in her post-retirement years with friends in the exercise group at the MNPS Fitness Center.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Doris Turner, who showed her with quiet strength and firm resolve that love, kindness, and determination are the greatest human assets. She was also preceded in death by her brother, Wayne Bryant, who always loved and stayed close to his sister. She is survived by her loving husband of fifty-five years, Charles Appleton, who will always keep her closest to his heart as his high-school sweetheart and wife. She is also survived by her two sons, Andy and Brian (wife, Erin), and five grandchildren, Katy, Seth, Reed, Casey, and John, all of whom she adored. Finally, she is survived by her sister-in-law Jacqueline Bryant, and her nephews, Sam Bryant (wife, Kellie) and Max Bryant (wife, Taylor), and her “adopted” daughter Alli, whom she all loved very much.

Honorary pallbearers are her loving friends Rose Harris, Beverly Brownlee, Teresa Chandler, Colleen Murray, Sherry Armistead, Jeanie Taylor and Kathleen Leckrone.

We will all be very close in the loving presence of “Nana”, who will certainly watch over us as we continue to grow in God’s love as family and friends. She will always be in our hearts, and never more than a thought or prayer away, until we are all regathered together again.

Formal memorial services will be held at Woodlawn Roesch Patton Funeral Home on Friday, January 5th at 11:30 AM, 660 Thompson Lane Nashville, TN 37204. The family asks that contributions, in lieu of flowers, be made to the American Cancer Society.