Pansy "Pam" Dillard Coates

October 11, 1923 - July 7, 2020

Pam Dillard Coates, 96, of Fairview, NC, came to the end of a life filled with wonder and curiosity, July 7, 2020. Surviving are her children Carole, Alan, and Curtis and their spouses, as well as four grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. Pam was valedictorian of her class at Sylva (NC) High School where her classmates awarded her five senior superlatives. A state and national 4-H Club winner, she was selected to lifetime membership in the NC 4-H Honor Club. She attended Western Carolina and Berea colleges before marrying J. B., her husband of sixty years. During WWII, Pam was a “Calutron Girl” in the Secret City of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. A stay-at-home mom, she was a church library volunteer; an avid gardener, reader, and crossword puzzler; and a superb talent with needle and thread. She was a long-time 4-H leader and Home Demonstration Club member and was named County Homemaker of the Year. She learned clogging and the mountain dulcimer and was a keen Elderhosteler. In retirement, Pam and J. B. founded and operated Scentsations, an herbal and craft business. Due to COVID-19, a memorial service will be scheduled later. Memorial gifts may be made to the library of First Baptist Church, 5 Oak Street, Asheville, NC 28801, where she was a member.