Pamalan G. Mitsch

BOXFORD — Pamalan G. Mitsch, 75, affectionately known as “The Pamster,” “Pammylumps,” and “Sweet Pea,” of Boxford, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers on September 24, 2026, surrounded by her loving family, following a long battle with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Pam was born in Lansing, Michigan, to the late Alan and Thetis (Webster) Bush. She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother, a gifted dental hygienist, an avid water and snow skier, and a passionate gardener, cook, baker and traveler. She lovingly created and tended vegetable, flower, and herb gardens around her Boxford home taking great pleasure in sharing her season’s bounty with family and friends.

Pam’s sense of adventure was an important part of her life. In the late 1980s, Pam, Mark, and their 3 children lived for several years in Egypt. During that time, they enjoyed scuba diving adventures in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba around the Sinai, exploring the mountains, canyons and desert regions of the Sinai, as well as the Nile River region from the Mediterranean to the Sudanese border. They traveled extensively throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Western and Eastern Europe. In later years, one of their favorite traditions was returning to Italy in the fall to visit family and participate in the annual olive harvest. They would return home with wonderful memories—and some of the best olive oil you’ve ever tasted.

Pam and Mark met while skiing in the mid-1980s and were inseparable from that time forward. Together they built a life filled with family, adventure, travel, food, gardening, skiing, and countless shared experiences. Above all else, Pam loved her husband, her children, and her grandchildren. Family was everything to her.

Pamalan is survived by her beloved husband, Mark; her son, Matthew Alan Steen and his wife, Claire Schultz, of Richmond, Vermont; her son, James “Geoffrey” Steen and his wife, Sofi Wallin-Steen, of Marshall, North Carolina; and her daughter, Emily Janelle Steen and her partner, Tim Ribner of Portland, Oregon. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Mae, Camden, Bhavaii, Freya, and Gaorii, with another grandchild on the way; and her sister, Janelle Burke, and her husband Bob, their kids Kyle and Kara Norwood.

ARRANGEMENTS: A Celebration of Life will be held in the late spring/early summer of 2027 surrounded by her beautiful gardens, family and friends. Specific details to come early next year. Arrangements by O’Donnell – Cremations – Funerals – Celebrations, 167 Maple Street, Danvers. Donations in Pam’s name can be made to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) www.theaftd.org.  To share a memory or offer a condolence please visit www.odonnellfuneralservice.com.