PAMELA DOSS

Pamela Ann Doss, age 70, lost her courageous battle with cancer on August 27, 2016 during a grey and rainy day.  She was born during a snow storm on December 17, 1945 to the late Ralph and Agnes (Strohmeier) Held in Storm Lake, Iowa.  Ralph was not able to meet her for several days, because the snow kept him from getting home after a business trip.  Pam weathered the storms in her life while remaining a gracious and loving lady.

Pam was a gifted dancer and when the family moved to Des Moines, Iowa she started taking ballet lessons with Rose Lorenz Schwartz, a local dance legend who shaped the careers of many American dancers and actors during their early years.  After the family moved to Jefferson, Iowa Agnes continued to drive Pam to dance lessons with Rose several times a week.  One of the highlights of Pam's dancing with Rose was when she played the part of Clara in a touring production of “The Nutcracker” in which Maria Tallchief played the principal role of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

She enjoyed dance throughout her life.  When Pam's parents retired to Sun City, Arizona she was elated to learn that Rose Lorenz Schwartz had retired in Sun City as well.  Rose taught dance classes at Sun City's recreational centers and Pam often danced in the classes when visiting her parents.               
     

Pam graduated from Jefferson High School (IA) in 1963.  She went on to graduate from the University of Kansas in 1967 with a major in English Education and a minor in French after attending Cottey College for her first two years of post-secondary schooling.  Pam was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority while at KU and developed many life-long friendships from her time as a KU Theta.  In March of 2015 she reconnected with several Theta sisters in New York City to celebrate their seventieth birthdays.    

Pam taught middle school English in the Kansas City area for several years before moving to Madison, Wisconsin to teach there.  She met the love of her life, Jerry Coleman Doss, on a blind date arranged by mutual friends.  It was a memorable day for they attended a Wisconsin Badgers football game and the musical “1776.”

Jerry and Pam married on August 14, 1971 in Madison and spent 45 wonderful years together.  When Jerry finished his diagnostic radiology residency at the University of Wisconsin they moved to the Boston area so Jerry could acquire additional training and experience at Massachusetts General Hospital.  Pam taught middle school English in Andover near where they lived.  They held season tickets to the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops.  Taking advantage of every cultural opportunity that Boston had to offer, they even timed their walk of The Freedom Trail to coincide with the Fourth of July. 
                                                                               

Subsequently the couple settled in Oshkosh, and then Neenah, Wisconsin when Jerry joined what is now known as Radiology Associates of the Fox Valley.  When their two children, Angela and Blake, were born Pam devoted her time to raising her family.

Pam cultivated Angela and Blake's artistic interests by enrolling them both in music, dance and other performing arts classes at an early age.  Both children started playing piano at the age of four and soon Pam's life was a whirlwind of piano, organ, voice, ballet and other lessons for Angela and Blake.  She never missed one of her children's music lessons, taking detailed notes, and she spent countless hours attending various music competitions in which Angela and Blake participated.              
         

An Iowa farm girl spirit always lived inside of Pam and she was a bit of a daredevil.  Growing up she spent idyllic summers at the Held family farm outside of Hinton, Iowa riding horses and getting into mischief with her two older brothers.  Her love of a good adventure stayed with her throughout her life, and she had a few close calls with alligators, buffalo and a few other wild animals.

Pam loved nature, spending countless hours in the woods or on the water in Door County, Wisconsin with her family.  She was also blessed to visit many national parks on family trips.

Pam was a member of the Neenah, Wisconsin Chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood.  She served as an Appleton Boychoir mother from 1990 to 1995 for the five years Blake sang with the various choirs and served as a chaperone when the Lyric Choir went to Prague, Czech Republic the summer of 1995.  She was also a hospice volunteer for several years.  During her later years, Pam was also an active member of First Presbyterian Church in Neenah.

She is survived by her loving and devoted husband of 45 years, Jerry, and their two adult children Angela and Blake; two brothers, R. Stephen and Gregory Held, nieces and nephews; other relatives; and countless friends.  Pam was preceded in death by her parents and Jerry's parents.

A memorial service and celebration of Pam's life will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 24, 2016 at First Presbyterian Church located at 200 Church Street, Neenah, Wisconsin.  A time for visitation and fellowship will begin at church at 10 a.m.  A luncheon will follow at the church.  The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to Makaroff Youth Ballet, 111 W College Avenue, Appleton, WI 54911 in memory of Pam.