Obituary: Panagiota (Pam) Gliatis

Panagiota (Pam) Gliatis passed away peacefully in her sleep on Aug. 11, 2022, after a two-year battle with cancer.

She was 63 years old.

She leaves behind her husband Doug, her children Samantha and Theo, her daughter-in-law Sabrina and twin grandsons Maximus and Arthur, as well as her sister Georgia and brother Taso.

Pam was a kind, compassionate and driven person. She was a wonderful mother, loving and inspiring, and a devoted partner and friend.

She loved to garden, nurturing flowers, trees, herbs and a veritable jungle of houseplants. She was a voracious reader, especially fond of romance, fantasy and science fiction novels as well as wide-ranging political, historical and scientific nonfiction. She did the New York Times crossword puzzle every Sunday, and she was a rigorous debater and engaging conversation partner.

She was proud of her Greek heritage, throwing huge Easter celebrations over the years and passing delicious family recipes down to her children (who now both make a mean spanakopita). Pam and Doug loved to travel, and drove all over Canada and the United States, often with their two dogs, Sheba and Potoula, adventuring, taking great photos, and eating great food. Pam loved swimming and was always delighted to visit a new body of water, especially when there were turtles and other sea creatures to see.

Pam was committed to helping others her entire professional life, working in women's centres, home care agencies, community resource centres, and ESL and settlement education.

After moving to Squamish from Toronto in 1995, she became involved in nonprofit and public service organizations in her new community, including collaborating on the re-opening of the Squamish Food Bank.

Pam founded the Squamish Community Access and Training Centre, an organization that provided technology access and education to countless adults and children over the years. The organization grew under Pam's leadership into The Hotspot, now a mainstay of downtown Squamish, providing community learning spaces as well as a cozy used bookstore.

In recent years Pam worked in the Community Development department at Capilano University, teaching classes, training volunteer tutors, and supporting newcomers to Canada.

Pam had a long time to make peace with her illness, and she was very grateful for the support of her family, friends, and medical teams. She was so happy that she got to spend so much time with her beautiful grandsons before her passing. Thank you to everyone who visited, called, and otherwise helped ensure that Pam knew how very much she was loved.

There will be a small family gathering to remember Pam, and then her ashes will be scattered in the oceans and lakes that meant the most to her and her family. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you consider a donation to one of the following causes that were close to Pam's heart:

The Global Fund for Women provides flexible, timely grants to women's groups around the world striving to improve women's human rights.

https://www.globalfundforwomen.org

The Squamish Food Bank provides safe, dignified and secure access to nutritious food for all in times of need by offering ongoing food distribution.

Plan Canada focuses on providing food security and education access to children in vulnerable situations worldwide. Pam donated to them regularly.

The Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care provides services to allow palliative patients to stay at home while receiving care for a terminal illness. This is the service that supported Pam and her family during the last weeks of her life.