Pam Kisinger

Joyful, faith-filled, adventurous, and fun-loving are just a few of the words that describe the extraordinary woman who Pamela Kisinger was each and every day. She saw some of the most amazing places and experienced some of the best things that life has to offer, yet what made these things so special was sharing them with the ones she loved. All who knew Pam would agree that life was never boring when she was around, and her zest for life was contagious. A devoted wife and loving mother, she was thrilled beyond measure to witness her family tree blossom to include the loved ones who made her so very proud. Although she was taken from her loved ones much too soon, Pam leaves behind a timeless legacy that will be proudly carried on by those who follow in her footsteps.

In the late fall of 1959, John and Shirley Burge were filled with great anticipation as they were eagerly awaiting the birth of their new baby. The big day finally arrived when the baby girl they named Pamela Jean drew her first breath. She was the older of two children in her family and she was raised in the Berrien Springs area alongside her brother, John.

From the time she was a young girl, Pam was a bustle of activity. She loved riding her pony, Ellie, on their property with her friends. Pam looked forward to camping in their popup trailer as a family both up North and out West as she loved the great outdoors. Pam attended Berrien Springs where she was a cheerleader, played volleyball and softball, and participated in gymnastics.

After graduating in 1977, Pam went to Isle Royale with her brother, sister-in-law and cousins where they had many adventures. She also satisfied her adventurous spirit camping at Pictured Rocks with her cousin. Pam loved to travel which was a reason that she always wanted to work for the airlines and attended a travel school after graduating. She found her calling at Republic Airlines which is now Delta Air Lines. Even with her love for the airlines, she had always wanted to explore interior design. So she attended Western Michigan University for a short time to pursue her degree, but didn’t finish. Although she didn’t finish, her passion for interior design ignited something in her youngest daughter, Tori, who is now finishing her degree in interior design.

Pam’s airline career started with Republic Airlines in Detroit (DTW) as a reservations agent. She then moved on to Kalamazoo (AZO) as a customer service, working there for 23 years with Northwest Airlines. Her next move was to Grand Rapids (GRR) and then finally back to Detroit in 2014 as a Delta Air Lines Red Coat. Every stop in her airline career she touched many people and made many friends.

Life was forever changed for Pam when she met the man of her dreams. His name was Mike Kisinger, and he also worked for Northwest Airlines. After dating for a time, Pam and Mike were married on January 23, 1993, in Kalamazoo Covenant Church. They enjoyed their honeymoon out in Breckinridge, Colorado.

The couple initially settled in Kalamazoo, but later moved to Lawton where they lived on five acres and raised their two daughters, Shelby and Tori, who were the light of her life. Pam loved the outdoors and they were surrounded by beauty with a small pond with frogs, and plenty of flower gardens. In addition to raising their girls, she also worked full-time. Pam effortlessly balanced her family and her work, and she mastered being able to arrange her schedule around the needs of the family. Pam was active in her girls’ lives coaching sports, volunteering at their schools, and helping with Girl Scouts, competitive dance, and numerous other activities.

Working for the airlines allowed for the family to travel the world. As a family they took annual trips to Florida to see her parents where they bathed in the sun, visited Disney, hunted for sharks teeth, watched manatees, and the visited the strawberry fields for strawberry shortcakes. The family loved traveling in First class to Europe, making trips to Amsterdam, Finland, Germany and France. They also took adventurous day trips to Washington DC, Boston, and Minneapolis to visit the Mall of America. The family always enjoyed these trips no matter where they were as long as they were together.

Life with Pam was always a treat. As an animal lover, she embraced everything Shelby brought home whether cat, dog, or something different. The holidays were her favorite time and she loved to decorate for the season. At Christmas she had an impressive collection of Village pieces as well as a 13 foot tree every year. She threw a great Halloween party complete with a spook trail through the front yard. Pam enjoyed scrapbooking and had books and books of pictures from all her travels. Pam’s other interests and hobbies included shopping with her girls, gardening, and enjoying the outdoors and sunshine.

Pam was a member of Valley Family Church where she attended and volunteered her time. She was also involved in a small bible study with a group of her close friends. Pam was always reading or listening to things by Joel Osteen, Rick Warren and Joyce Meyer. Her faith was extraordinary, her joy was contagious and she could always lift someone up with her positive outlook on life. She was a woman of faith who touched many lives.

Pam and her loved ones were given a tough pill to swallow when she was diagnosed with leukemia in February. She bravely underwent treatment, and the following bone marrow exam came back cancer free. Continuing treatment, her weakened immune system fell to an infection causing complications and her body was just not strong enough to overcome the fight.

Vibrant, fun-loving, and adventurous, Pamela Kisinger was the heartbeat of everywhere she went. She was faithful, caring, positive and generous with the most amazing compassionate spirit. Her strength and courage were unwavering, and she never complained when the storms of life covered her. She will be forever missed by all who were blessed to know and love her.

Pamela J. Kisinger died on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 at Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit. Pam's family includes her husband, Mike Kisinger; 2 daughters: Shelby Kisinger and Tori Kisinger (Ben Black); parents, John and Shirley Burge; brother, John Jr. (Susan) Burge; father and mother-in-law, Jack and Sue Kisinger; brother-in-law, Phil (Shari) Kisinger, sister-in-law, Sandy (John) Lucki and several nieces and nephews.

Visit with family and friends on Sunday, April 26th, from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the Life Story Funeral Home, Betzler & Thompson, 60900 M-40, Paw Paw (269-657-3870). Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, April 27th at the Valley Family Church (2500 Vincent Ave., Portage, in the Cathedral). A reception will follow in the church hall.

Please visit Pam’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can share a favorite memory or photo and sign her guestbook before coming to the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to Valley Family Church or charity of one's choice.