Pamela Jean Gale May 1, 1949 - October 10, 2019 Beloved, vibrant, kind, athletic and courageous "Pia" left the confused torment of advanced stage Alzheimer's disease and slipped peacefully into the night on Thursday, October 10, in the arms of her partner Lynn. Living with this disease for over a decade, Pam demanded the right to run her own show; we tried to follow her lead with compassion and love and we honored her with as much dignity as we could protect. Friends and family will be forever grateful to the incredibly dedicated and loving staff at Allenbrook Memory Care in Williston. In this home, Pam's last eight months had a measure of freedom she craved, and the daily open-hearted patience of her caregivers and family earned Pams trust. We cherished fleeting moments of her joyful smile and feisty sense of humor. Pam was raised in St Johnsbury Center; friends from elementary school remember that "she was a much better athlete than most of the boys". As a child she played tackle and touch football and baseball, one friend writing "I can still see her running fast and gracefully to catch a football while outrunning most everyone. Back in the day, she was one of the best athletes around". Her very special St. J. Academy class of 1967 (friends who keep in touch after 50 years!) send notes that embellish the multitude of testimonials; Pam was a kind, fun-loving, warm soul. Pam graduated from Plymouth State University before Title IX was passed; she was a gifted multi-sport athlete and fierce competitor. She invested her formidable talent in coaching and teaching PE at U 32 middle/high school, working hard to develop and fortify self-confidence in her students, especially the girls. She was a lifelong teacher and healer, impacting the lives of many who still remember her as a patient and caring guide. Her nieces and nephews celebrate what a perfect and loyal fan she was, supporting their athletic endeavors until recently. After advanced training at the Florida School of Massage, she successfully practiced Massage Therapy in the Burlington VT area for many years. Her many loyal clients are among the bereaved. Pam's sense of joy and adventure was contagious. Her cousins still tell stories about Pam's antics fishing, drinking beer and story-telling during the 8 day legendary Gale family reunions at Lake Averill in Norton. She traveled extensively throughout the world, and enjoyed many summer trips to Martha's Vineyard and Rye Beach. She enjoyed using her body, for work and play. Pam loved to kayak, boat and camp, boogey board and ski. Her talents and interests were varied; in addition to her successful careers in teaching and massage therapy, she worked as a gardener, a house cleaner, a feisty bartender in Arizona, NH and VT, a house painter and wallpaper hanger, a doula for her sister-in-law Anne when sweet Joan was born, and a dedicated caregiver for a girl with special needs. She understood work and rather than be upset when some business was closed, she'd selflessly announce "Good; everyone needs a day off". Through all her experiences she found dozens of ways to make friends and enjoy life. Alzheimer's disease settled onto Pam before she was 59. She had worked hard her whole life to be healthy and she wanted and encouraged that for everyone she knew. She fought this invasion with a mixture of denial, dignity and rage, courageously insisting on her independence and freedom. During the last few years friends and family (especially her sister Val) contributed selflessly until she could no longer be at home. Finally it was her insatiable, exhaustive drive to walk that caused repeated falls and her recent broken pelvis that would not heal. The compassionate staff at Allenbrook, family and friends, and the care team from Hospice supported her through this difficult last month. Pam is survived by her partner of nearly 30 years, Lynn Vera, and her beloved service dog Kia. She was pre-deceased by her parents (Christine and Charles Gale). She is also survived by her sister Valerie (McClure), Sherry (Chesley), their children and grandchildren, and by her brother Chuck Gale, as well as by Lynn's 4 sisters Celia, Louise, Anne and Ellen and their children. Pam loved all of these folks, in addition to her countless friends from Vermont and across the country, who are bereaved and saddened to let go of our feisty, smart, funny and courageous Pam. Life was difficult for the person Pam had become, but life will never be the same without the Pam we loved and counted on for decades. It is now up to us to retrieve and hold the happy memories of the woman we knew before Alzheimer's robbed her of her final few years. For Lynn, certain shades of the color blue and the sound of distinct laughter will always bring Pam alive. It's so hard to accept this early end to a vibrant beautiful life. In honor of all the joy, spunk, healing, laughter and hope that has been our Pia, our Pam Gale, may she Rest in Peace. A gathering for friends and family will be held the afternoon of May 2, 2020 in South Burlington.