Pam Ryan passed away on August 17, 2025. She was born Pamela Jo Graber on August 25, 1963, in Freeman, SD, to Chester (Chet) and Carol (née Wentzel) Graber. She was the granddaughter of Rumie and Emma (née Schrag) Graber and Charlie and Hattie (née Dirkson) Wentzel.

Pam began school in Viborg, SD, before her family moved to Mitchell in 1968, where she continued her education. Her childhood was filled with family, fun, and music, including boating and waterskiing on Lake Mitchell and countless visits to her grandparents’ farms, where she loved being with her cousins.

At age nine, after her family received a piano from Uncle Paul and Tante Ada Schrag, Pam began taking lessons. She excelled quickly, winning numerous awards throughout junior high and high school. Each Christmas Eve, after church, she played piano for her family, a tradition that became her siblings’ favorite part of the holiday. Music remained a lifelong joy: in addition to piano, she also played clarinet in the marching band, earning many honors along the way.

Pam graduated from Mitchell High School in 1981 and attended South Dakota State University in Brookings. She thrived academically, continued her love of music in the marching band, and graduated early, in December 1984, with a B.S. in Mathematics.

After college, Pam moved to the Boston, MA, area, where she worked as a civilian computer programmer at the Army base in Natick. A few years later, she relocated to Urbandale, IA, continuing her programming career. Known for her wit as much as her intelligence, she once explained in a John Deere interview why she didn’t have a programming degree: “You can’t program if you don’t know how to do math!” She got the job.

Though she found success in programming, Pam’s true passion was education. She pursued graduate studies at Iowa State University in Ames, earning her Ph.D. in Mathematics in 1997. In 2000, she joined the faculty at Truman State University, where she became a beloved teacher, mentor, and colleague. She directed the Math-Bio program, building collaborations across disciplines, championing student research, and inspiring students with her encouragement, her belief in their potential, and her passion for learning.

It was at Truman that Pam met the love of her life, Phil. They were married in Kauai, Hawaii, in 2002. Later that year, they welcomed her greatest joy, their son, Donnie.

Pam’s commitment to service extended well beyond the classroom. She was an active member of Trinity Episcopal Church, serving as treasurer and on the bishop’s committee. She worked quietly but tirelessly to support the Food Bank and United Way, giving her time generously to help those in need. Pam was never loud or showy, but she stood firmly for what she believed in and gave generously of her time and energy to her community.

She was also deeply loved by her many friends and the groups she was part of. Though often reserved at first, Pam’s quick wit and sense of humor left a lasting impression. A common refrain after getting to know her was, “I didn’t know Pam was so funny!”

Outside of her work and service, Pam cherished her cats and was a devoted Star Trek fan. She will be remembered for her kindness, integrity, quiet strength, and humor that brightened the lives of all who knew her.

Pam is survived by her loving husband, Phil Ryan, and son, Donnie Ryan; her mother, Carol; her sister and brother-in-law, Tracee and Greg Shevlin; and her brother and sister-in-law, Steve and Jacie Graber. She was also a wonderful aunt to Michael Shevlin; Jared and Grant Graber; Josh and Archie Wood and Ruby-lee Brice (née Wood); Sineid, Chris, Charlie, and Liam Doyle; Elise and Mitch Ryan; and Grace, Jake, Georgia, Aria and Hugo Montgomerie.

A Celebration of Life will be held 5:00 p.m. Monday, August 25, 2025 with the Rev. Carrol Davenport and the Rev. Dr Maria Evans presiding in the chapel of Travis-Noe Funeral Home in Kirksville.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to United Way of Northeast Missouri, P.O. Box 112, Kirksville, MO 63501, in memory of Pam Ryan, or they may be left at or mailed to Travis-Noe Funeral Home, P.O. Box 306, Kirksville, MO 63501..