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Before marrying Jamie was even a fleeting thought in her mind, Pamela Evans-Nugent pulled up next to him at a stoplight, rolled down her window and said, “My car likes your car.”
Jamie laughs as he tells that story because he knows it wasn’t meant to be flirty or suggestive. It’s the kind of outreach that Pamela does all the time without even realizing the full extent to which it can change someone’s day for the better.
She constantly does things that are helpful or that boost people’s confidence, but because she is so people-oriented, Pamela doesn’t stop to think much about it. All those gestures, helpful acts and good deeds are exactly what make her such an amazing friend, daughter, sister, wife and mother.
“She’s very caring,” Jamie said. “She gives endlessly to her family, to me and her twin sister and family. She nonstop gives her heart 100% of the time. She’s helpful and fun.”
Now, take that kind of happy and helpful attitude and amplify it times about 1,000, and that’s the effort Pamela gives to raising her son, Luke, and to being a “wonderful stepmom” to Jamie’s three kids, Jacob, Samantha and Madison.
A bio and chemistry teacher by trade, all the patience and persistence she has learned from her time in the classroom plays a part in Pamela’s approach with Luke. He clearly responds to it because he is already counting to 30 and progressing in every other area. Luke’s play time with his mom is special to him, and it pays huge dividends in his development.
Pamela is there for him through everything, his landmarks and challenges, and she cherishes the role she plays as a mom.
“Luke has been attached to her arm for 2 ½ years,” Jamie said. “She’s a relentless mom who goes out with him every single day no matter how cold it is to play in the snow. She goes for bath time with him every single night, and there’s never a single complaint about being a mom. She just embodies it.”
Family is everything to Pamela, and she goes out of her way to contribute any way that she can. That goes beyond her own home and to her parents, Jane and Alan, her sisters, Leeann and Julia, and her brother, Ryan. Under more normal circumstances, the whole crew loves to get together nearly every weekend.
A pandemic has been full of hardships, but that one hits closest to home for Pamela and her family. In particular, she and Leeann are twins who have always been by each other’s side and are now more like lifetime friends who happened to share a womb.
To this day, there might be one that Leeann admires more than her sister.
“We always describe her as the one who gives everything to everyone,” Leeann said. “She puts herself last so she’ll be the first one to go out of her way to help people, usually to the detriment of herself. She’s that person in her family. She’s always been there for me. She’s like my other half.”
Just like the grocery store line, where her over-the-top friendliness has been a pleasant surprise to countless strangers, Pamela just finds a way to make everything just a little better. It’s true for her family, her husband, her students and many others who benefit from Pamela’s refreshing approach to life.
There’s a sense of gratitude among all of them for all she does and for propping up her family above her own wants or needs.
“We appreciate everything she does for us,” Leeann said. “I wouldn’t be who I am today without having her by my side my whole life. She’s Jamie’s rock, but she’s also my rock.”
In her own home, Pamela expresses her love through constant support and a festive spirit for each holiday. She adores Luke and focuses on helping him become the best man he can be someday, which is exactly what she does for Jamie.
Ever since the day her car “confessed” its love for Jamie’s car, Pamela has inspired him to grow as a person and to try and love and appreciate family as much as she does.
“She’s helping me show more patience and embracing the family lifestyle,” Jamie said. “She is literally the best mom and stepmom, and I’d call her mother and wife of the year!”
