Pamela Packard Love died on June 25, 2019 at the age of 102. She had a colorful and often dramatic life. She was born in a space that had been built to serve as a chicken coop on a rural homestead in Eastern Washington in 1917, to Esther and Augustus Packard. When her father was injured by one of his horses and needed medical care, she and her siblings were cared for by family friends, and her family lost the ranch. After her family moved west to the Olympic Peninsula, at age 3, she became ill with polio, was partially paralized, and again was separated from her family while receiving extended medical care. She eventually rejoined her family, which grew to include six children in the Port Townsend area. Her father became the superintendent of schools in Port Townsend, and then practiced law and was twice elected prosecuting attorney during prohibition and a rough period of that town’s history. When things got a bit too rough for the children, Pamela’s family acquired a farm in Chimacum, Washington, where she learned how to raise livestock and harvest crops, and watched as electricity was first introduced to her community.
College graduation
In early 1934, the depth of the Great Depression, her life was thrown into chaos again when her father died suddenly from an asthma attack. She was 17 years old. With the help of her older brother Charles, she was able to enroll in Washington State College, where she found work with the New Deal National Youth Assistance program, and then as a researcher for a history professor, and earned a degree, majoring in political science. At college, she met and later and married Melvin Valess Love.
After Pamela gave birth to their first child, Melvin received a commission in the Army, was sent to fight in the Battle of the Bulge under General Patton, was wounded in combat and almost died. When Melvin returned, he entered law school at the University of Washington, where a growing family lived in student housing. Upon Melvin’s graduation from law school, the family made its way to the East Side of Lake Washington, finally settling in Bellevue in 1952 in a home she occupied the rest of her life.
Pamela and Melvin were ambitious and took an interest in local civic affairs. Melvin formally incorporated Bellevue as a city in March 1953. Melvin won a seat on the first city council and was reelected in 1954, then elected Mayor in 1954 serving in that capacity for two years. Together, Pam and Mel made a formidable team and campaigned together. Melvin and Pamela also successfully campaigned for investments in clean water and the acquisition of park land.
Pamela, a mother of seven children, made time to work as a professional artist, and was an avid reader, loved the outdoors, was active in local politics and civil affairs, and an early and enthusiastic supporter of the Seattle Seahawks. In 1973, she and her husband acquired land in Mattawa, a small community in Eastern Washington, and turned a desert property into a profitable farm, doing much of the work themselves on weekends and vacations.
By the age of 50, Pamela faced another crisis, progressively losing her hearing, and in 1990, her husband died of cancer, leaving her alone, at 73. At the age of 79, Pamela’s hearing was partly restored after receiving a cochlear implant. Following the death of her husband, Pamela became the unquestioned head of a growing and diverse family that now includes, in addition to her seven children, some 28 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren, plus 25 living and 3 deceased spouses or former spouses of those children.
Pamela was able to make every member of her very large family feel loved, special and part of this larger clan, finding ways to come together despite differences in geography, religion, political views and circumstances.
Pamela has outlived her five brothers and sisters. She is survived by a large family that loved and misses her deeply.
photo 1961
Her seven children (oldest first), are Clare Love, Trinda Love, James Love, Terrill Love, Randall Love, Shannon Love and Allison Mardini.
Pamela’s 28 grandchildren (oldest first), are Michelle Burbridge, Janell Love, Morgan Burbridge, Nisan Burbridge, Cheri Love, Amy Love, Noel Burbridge, Robin Love, Anthony Wilson, James Love, Caleb Love, Noé Hatchuel, Dashiell Love, Kari Love, Sarah Love, Amanda Wilson, Mohamad Mardini, Khalil Mardini, Elizabeth Covington, Val Love, Théophé Love, Rex Love, Fenimore Love, Taylor Love, Ahmed Mardini, Christine Love, Jihad Mardini and Ibrahim Mardini.
The 20 great grandchildren (oldest first) are Tristan Kidder, Chance Burbridge, Parker Burbridge, Christian Greenfield, Mason Love, Riley Burbridge, Kaitlyn Chua, Kai Uydea, Thad Bjelland, Chloe Chua, Taiyo Uyeda, Tannin Stover, Nathalie Hatchuel, Hayden Love, Devin Burdick, Farouk Mardini, Reese Love, Sophie Covington, Owen Hatchuel, Kamden Love and Piper Frad.
The surviving spouses and former spouses of her children and grandchildren include Aleithe Love, Andrea Poitras, Asher Wilson, Brad Bjelland, Chris Covington, Christopher Stover, Elizabeth Edmonds, Harry Uyeda, Jesse Pino, Lara Cordy, Laurel Potter, Manon Ress, Marlena Haffner, Mary Ashmun, Michael Burbridge, Omar Mardini, Pamela Cornell, Padraic McCracken, Paul Chua, Philip Guie, Sandra Allen, Shannon Rome, Stephen Zeller, Tommy Frad and Yauheniya Zapryvaryna.
Also remembering Madelon Bucholtz, Karleen Kikuchi, Kathleen Dodge, and many nieces, nephews and friends who knew her well.
photo 1979
Top to right, Randy, Terry, Melvin, Pamela, Clare
Bottom to right, Shannon, Trinda, Allison, James
College graduation
In early 1934, the depth of the Great Depression, her life was thrown into chaos again when her father died suddenly from an asthma attack. She was 17 years old. With the help of her older brother Charles, she was able to enroll in Washington State College, where she found work with the New Deal National Youth Assistance program, and then as a researcher for a history professor, and earned a degree, majoring in political science. At college, she met and later and married Melvin Valess Love.
After Pamela gave birth to their first child, Melvin received a commission in the Army, was sent to fight in the Battle of the Bulge under General Patton, was wounded in combat and almost died. When Melvin returned, he entered law school at the University of Washington, where a growing family lived in student housing. Upon Melvin’s graduation from law school, the family made its way to the East Side of Lake Washington, finally settling in Bellevue in 1952 in a home she occupied the rest of her life.
Pamela and Melvin were ambitious and took an interest in local civic affairs. Melvin formally incorporated Bellevue as a city in March 1953. Melvin won a seat on the first city council and was reelected in 1954, then elected Mayor in 1954 serving in that capacity for two years. Together, Pam and Mel made a formidable team and campaigned together. Melvin and Pamela also successfully campaigned for investments in clean water and the acquisition of park land.
Pamela, a mother of seven children, made time to work as a professional artist, and was an avid reader, loved the outdoors, was active in local politics and civil affairs, and an early and enthusiastic supporter of the Seattle Seahawks. In 1973, she and her husband acquired land in Mattawa, a small community in Eastern Washington, and turned a desert property into a profitable farm, doing much of the work themselves on weekends and vacations.
By the age of 50, Pamela faced another crisis, progressively losing her hearing, and in 1990, her husband died of cancer, leaving her alone, at 73. At the age of 79, Pamela’s hearing was partly restored after receiving a cochlear implant. Following the death of her husband, Pamela became the unquestioned head of a growing and diverse family that now includes, in addition to her seven children, some 28 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren, plus 25 living and 3 deceased spouses or former spouses of those children.
Pamela was able to make every member of her very large family feel loved, special and part of this larger clan, finding ways to come together despite differences in geography, religion, political views and circumstances.
Pamela has outlived her five brothers and sisters. She is survived by a large family that loved and misses her deeply.
photo 1961
Her seven children (oldest first), are Clare Love, Trinda Love, James Love, Terrill Love, Randall Love, Shannon Love and Allison Mardini.
Pamela’s 28 grandchildren (oldest first), are Michelle Burbridge, Janell Love, Morgan Burbridge, Nisan Burbridge, Cheri Love, Amy Love, Noel Burbridge, Robin Love, Anthony Wilson, James Love, Caleb Love, Noé Hatchuel, Dashiell Love, Kari Love, Sarah Love, Amanda Wilson, Mohamad Mardini, Khalil Mardini, Elizabeth Covington, Val Love, Théophé Love, Rex Love, Fenimore Love, Taylor Love, Ahmed Mardini, Christine Love, Jihad Mardini and Ibrahim Mardini.
The 20 great grandchildren (oldest first) are Tristan Kidder, Chance Burbridge, Parker Burbridge, Christian Greenfield, Mason Love, Riley Burbridge, Kaitlyn Chua, Kai Uydea, Thad Bjelland, Chloe Chua, Taiyo Uyeda, Tannin Stover, Nathalie Hatchuel, Hayden Love, Devin Burdick, Farouk Mardini, Reese Love, Sophie Covington, Owen Hatchuel, Kamden Love and Piper Frad.
The surviving spouses and former spouses of her children and grandchildren include Aleithe Love, Andrea Poitras, Asher Wilson, Brad Bjelland, Chris Covington, Christopher Stover, Elizabeth Edmonds, Harry Uyeda, Jesse Pino, Lara Cordy, Laurel Potter, Manon Ress, Marlena Haffner, Mary Ashmun, Michael Burbridge, Omar Mardini, Pamela Cornell, Padraic McCracken, Paul Chua, Philip Guie, Sandra Allen, Shannon Rome, Stephen Zeller, Tommy Frad and Yauheniya Zapryvaryna.
Also remembering Madelon Bucholtz, Karleen Kikuchi, Kathleen Dodge, and many nieces, nephews and friends who knew her well.
photo 1979
Top to right, Randy, Terry, Melvin, Pamela, Clare
Bottom to right, Shannon, Trinda, Allison, James
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