Surviving Pam is her husband and best friend of 42 years, Richard Cornell; her son, Shane Claflin, of NY; her step-daughter, Erica Wagner, of GA, and her husband, Rob, and their children, Chris, Drew, Kevin, Ali; and her step-son, Ryan Cornell, of CT, and his wife, Karen, and their children, Annie and Grace. Also surviving Pam is her sister, Kathy Cosgrove, and her husband, Bob, from Rochester, NY and their children Chad, Erin and Adam. She was predeceased by her mother and father, Ella and Charles Pope, and brother, Walter.
Pam grew up in Campbell Hall, NY, spending her adult years in Orange County, NY, before moving to The Villages in 2010. After leaving SUNY Geneseo, she later went back to earn a Bachelor’s at SUNY New Paltz, and took night classes to earn her Master’s degree in Speech Pathology. She worked as a licensed speech pathologist in the Wallkill School system, until her retirement in 2010. During that time, she was also an adjunct professor at SUNY New Paltz. She helped countless students during her career in real and significant ways learn to communicate and express themselves.
Although Pam’s retirement years might have been shorter than planned, she squeezed in a lot. They never missed an opportunity to do something fun. They went on 36 cruises including a 49 day cruise around South America. During the Pandemic, they took a 38 day road trip across America, on Route 66. Pam was well-liked and involved in many things including golf groups, book clubs, dinner clubs, Mahjong, Marbels and Jokers, and card games. She was a member of Largo Ladies. She hosted an annual Christmas tree decorating party for friends and neighbors. She enjoyed the theater, while attending many NYC and Villages shows; and had recently become an usher at the Sharon. She loved puzzles. She was a creative and talented artist, whether it was painting, drawing, pottery, scrapbooking, sewing, or arts and crafts. She even made her own greeting cards. She always made time to volunteer, and was quick to support the many charitable drives in The Villages.
She believed in Heaven, and she took a shortcut to Heaven, beating us all to her eternal rest. Everyone is invited to a Celebration of Life on Saturday, January 27th from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, at Dignity Memorial at 7134 Powell Rd, Wildwood, FL. Memorial gifts can be given to Friends of Sozo Kids at www.FriendsOfSozoKids.org, which helps the 45,000 people living within the Ocala National Forest, many of whom live without electricity and running water.
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