Pamela B Thurmond

Pamela ”Pam” Susan Thurmond (nee) Burgess) of Alachua, Florida, passed away on November 27, 2024, at the age of 79, Pam was born in The John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, on January 20, 1945, to Fred “Lindsay” and Mildred Leona Williams Burgess. She moved to Gainesville, Florida, at a young age where her father worked at the University of Florida Beef Research Center. She gradated from Gainesville High School in 1963. Pam moved to Orlando, Florida and worked for Harcourt Brace & Jovanovich for 12 years. She then moved back to Alachua County and spent most of her career working for the State of Florida as a Secretary in the Psychology Department. She and Edgar “Lou” Thurmond were married on January 16, 1993. In1995, Pam went to work for Santa Fe High School in Alachua, Florida, in the Exceptional Student Education department. She excelled in that environment and was well respected for her work with the students. She received awards for her achievements and worked there until she had to retire in 2002 to help take care of her mother. Pam was a member of the High Springs Church of Christ before becoming a member of Westside Baptist Church in Gainesville. Pam is preceded in death by her father, Fred “Lindsay” Burgess, her mother, Mildred Leona Williams Burgess. She is survived by her husband, Edgar “Lou” Thurmond; her three siblings, Paul Lindsay Burgess, Deborah Kay Davis, and Fred “Leon” Burgess; her sister-in-law, Joy Thurmond Belcher; and her brother-in-law, Fredrick “Fred” Hunter Thurmond; her three children, Dana Baxley James, Donna Baxley Dixon, and John Douglas Baxley; her 11 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; and 5 great-great-grandchildren. Pam was very witty. She was quick to come up with a clever one-liner that would make everyone laugh. She loved everything about history and worked hard researching her ancestors to better understand her family’s history. It made her happy to share her life experiences with others. She enjoyed gardening and tended to her plants daily; of note were her exceptional Christmas cacti. She was a devoted Christian and a loyal and devoted wife and mother. She is deeply missed by her family and friends.

Pamela B Thurmond

January 20, 1945 - November 27, 2024