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Pamela A. Thaler Obituary

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Pamela A. Thaler

Chippewa Falls, WI

December 17, 1949 - November 29, 2020

Pamela A. Thaler Obituary

Pamela Thaler: A life defined by love for family, faith and art died Sunday, November 29, 2020 at her residence with her son by  her side under the care of Mayo Clinic Hospice.

Pamela A. Thaler, 70, the daughter of George and Ferne (Larsen) Thaler, was born on Dec. 17, 1949, in Chippewa Falls, WI. She had a happy childhood spending summers swimming in Lake Wissota, running wild and carefree with kids in the backyards of her neighborhood, and earning Girl Scout badges with the help of her mom.

Pam loved art from a young age, and later in life, said she found God through her artwork. As the only daughter in a family out of four children, her mother, also a talented artist, enjoyed nothing more than creating and sewing dresses for her daughter. As Pam grew older, she would create fashion designs, which her mother would sew together. They were a mother-daughter team that shared a bond that lasted all of their lives.

As a teenager, Pamela’s love for painting eventually earned her a number of prizes at a young age, and she knew she had found her calling.

After graduating from McDonnell Catholic High School, her love of art and fashion brought her to the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, where she studied for three years, a period of time where she made many life-long friends and expanded her abilities as a designer and artist.

Pamela had her heart set on New York City, where she studied at the Parson School of Design at one of the top fashion programs in the country. She graduated with honors and found a home for her creative energy in New York.

She worked in publishing for a number of years and put her design skills to use creating men's clothing for a number of brands and working at Stotter, where she designed a range of home goods, including a number of popular lines of place mats that were sold at Dayton’s, J.C. Penney’s, and other stores across America.

It has to be said that Pamela was known as a beauty and had to turn down a fair number of marriage proposals in her life. But she found love when she met John Cody, the Teamster’s president of New York City at the time. Together with him, Pamela had her one child, John Cody Jr., and found a new calling as a loving mother.

After spending 12 years in New York, she returned to Chippewa Falls. She overcame a number of adversities she faced in her life and found peace in the place where she was born. Much of that peace was found through her career as an artist.

During her lifetime, she managed to produce thousands of paintings and sketches, many of which have filled homes, businesses, and been shown in exhibitions throughout the region.

Vincent van Gogh, an artist Pam found inspiration in, once said, “Love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.” Pam put her love of her child into every piece of work she ever produced, and every piece ever sold was seen as a dollar she could put towards a plane ticket to have her son visit her throughout the year.

Pam’s art has also been recognized at galleries in the region and accepted for a number of exhibitions at the Pablo Center, including the upcoming "Shelter" virtual online exhibition. One of her pieces is also on permanent display there, and more examples of her artwork can be viewed at www.PamelaThaler.com.

Pam found strength and happiness in Chippewa through her loving family and her faith in God. She had a deep bond with her brothers Steve, Skip, and John (Candy), Skip’s wife Jill, her nieces and nephews, and neighbors and friends from across the community. She was known as a gentle person who believed the world could be a better place if people were shown enough compassion and kindness.

Pam will always be remembered as a devoted mother who loved her son John unconditionally. That boundless love was shared with her two grandchildren, Luisa and June, along with John’s partner, Anneli.

She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Ferne Thaler.

Funeral services will be held at 12 Noon Thursday, Dec. 3 at St. Charles Church, Chippewa Falls. Rev. Msgr. Michael J. Gorman will be celebrant of the funeral Mass. Burial will be in Hope Cemetery in Chippewa Falls.

Friends may call from 10:30 a.m. until the time of services at Noon on Thursday, December 3 at St. Charles Church in Chippewa Falls.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating money to her parish St. Charles Borromeo Church, or the American Cancer Society.

Per the state mandate, facemasks are required for all those attending.

AFTER SERVICE NOTICE:

Funeral services Pamela A. Thaler were held at 12 Noon on Thursday, December 3 at St. Charles Church in Chippewa Falls.

Rev. Msgr. Michael J. Gorman was celebrant of the funeral Mass and officiated at the prayers of interment in Hope Cemetery in Chippewa Falls. Mass servers were Andrew, Anna and Emily Thaler.

Music during the Mass was provided by Jerry Boorsma and Karen Schmidt. Readings were given by Joey Thaler. Gift bearers were Amber and Ruby Thaler.

Casket bearers were John Cody, Joey, John, Peter, Skip, Steve and Tim Thaler.

To share a memory or send a condolence gift, please visit the Official Obituary of Pamela A. Thaler hosted by Horan Funeral Home and Cremation Services.

Events

Event information can be found on the Official Obituary of Pamela A. Thaler.