Obituary of Pamela Marie Jones

Pamela Marie "Pam" (Helmuth) Jones died peacefully in her sleep at home on August 5, 2010.Pam was born on February 1, 1957 in Lafayette, Indiana to Ned D. & Arlene J. (Schwartz) Helmuth. Pam was the oldest child. Pam struggled all of her life with heart problems. At age seventeen, Pam had a heart valve replacement by Dr. Albert Starr in Portland, OR. Almost twenty-five years later, Pam had the same valve replaced by Dr. Starr again. Despite having heart problems from birth, Pam was active in sports winning the Presidential Physical Fitness Award three times. Pam attended Burtsfield School in West Lafayette, IN & attended West Lafayette Junior & Senior High School. Pam graduated from Sunset High School in Beaverton, Oregon in 1975. Pam enrolled at Southern Oregon College in Ashland, OR. Pam started her work by delivering newspapers, working at McDonald's & Taco Bell. After moving to Oregon, Pam worked for Farmer's Insurance at their headquarters in Portland. Pam worked for Dexter Design & Development in Beaverton, OR & for Fred Meyer's in Lacey. Pam was an avid reader & was always seen by the neighbors, working in her yard with her flowers. Wherever Pam lived she had a beautiful flower garden. Pam took pride in her yard & flowers. Next to these, her favorite past time was spoiling her grandchildren. On July 5, 1985, Pam married her best friend, Rich Jones. Pam instantly became a mother of four. Pam lived with Rich & moved from Portland to Aberdeen, WA to Lacey, WA & finally to Olympia. Pam lived there fourteen years with her dog, Chadwik & later with Gracie (the cat) & finally with Joey (rescue dog & name, because Joey was like a kangaroo). Pam loved having the children, grand children & great grand daughter come & visit or stay for the day, night or the week. Pam was preceded in death by her father, Ned D. Helmuth, two sisters-in-law, Peggy Jones & Beverly Pitman & her stepbrother, Martin Soeller. Pam is survived by her husband of twenty-five years, Rich. Her mother & step father, AJ & Richard Soeller in Oro Valley, AZ, her brother, Michael (Jan) Helmuth in LA & her sister, Gretchen (Rob) Helmuth/Norton in Scio, OR. She is also survived by "Her" children Steve (Melody Jones) (Harmony, Hannah, Haley, Elijah & Heidi) in Vernonia, Oregon; Gretchen Jones (Ashly & her daughter Chloe, Bailey & Savannah) in Portland, OR, Andrea (Jason) Grant (Nolan, Taylor, Huxley & soon Amelia) & Therese (Tony) Castleberry, Henderson, NV. Pam has numerous aunts, uncles & cousin in the mid-west. Please sign the guestbook and leave your memories of Pam by clicking on "View Guestbook" below.