Pam was born on January 31, 1942, in Ewell, Surrey, England, to Reginald and Phyllis Sanders. She attended the Rosebery School and then Wimbledon College. In 1963, she married Brian Wheaton at Stoneleigh Methodist Church in Epsom. In June 1964, they emigrated to the US, settling in Guilford, CT where they had sons Mark and Neil. The family also lived for many years in Killingworth, CT. Pam and Brian’s marriage ended amicably in 1978.
Pam enjoyed her career and her coworkers, working as a secretary, bookkeeper, and office manager at Economy Electric, ThermaRay, and for trust attorney Robert Davidson.
Pam met George McLaughlin in 1980 at a dance and two years later, they were married. George and Pam built a house in Old Lyme and lived there happily for the next 33 years. During this time, Pam and George enjoyed an active life that included travel, canoeing, tennis, cycling, gardening, and visits with their children and grandchildren. Pam became a US citizen in 1998, while retaining her British citizenship. She attended the First Congregational Church in Old Lyme and drew great joy from singing in the choir.
Pam was devoted to her family and her faith. She was fun-loving, adventurous, selfless, conscientious, and hard-working. She had a facility for language, speaking French, German, Russian, and a bit of Italian with apparent ease. She embraced new experiences, from hiking in Provence to riding a camel in Egypt. She sang beautifully, played the piano, was a talented seamstress, and made wonderful apple and mince pies. All who knew Pam were better for the experience. We will miss her dearly.
Pam is survived by her husband of 36 years, George McLaughlin; her brother Peter Sanders, sister Rita Lingham; her sons Mark and Neil Wheaton, daughter-in-law Kim Dolphin Wheaton, and grandsons Henry and James Wheaton.
A memorial service will be held at 1:00pm on Saturday, March 31 at The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, 2 Ferry Road, Old Lyme, CT. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to a charity of your choice in Pam’s memory.
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