Pamela Mays

Pamela Mays, 54, was taken from her family far too soon on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 after a long four year battle with cancer. A resident of Saginaw Township, Pam passed away at home with her beloved husband Steve, by her side. Her family is heartbroken but takes solace in the knowledge that she is free of her broken body and without pain and suffering in the presence of her Savior in heaven. Born September 3rd, 1960 to the late Sonny and Dorothy Knight in Toronto, Canada, she spent a few more years in Canada before the family moved to Michigan. A graduate of Houghton High School, Pam went to study social work at Saginaw Valley State University. While attending SVSU, she met her future husband and partner in every sense of the word, Steve Mays. Married on February 26, 1983, she created a loving family with her husband while devoting herself to helping others as a social worker. She worked at Saginaw Child and Family Services before attending Wayne State University while continuing to work full time to earn her Master's degree in Social Work. Using her knowledge and experience, she undertook the monumental effort to found Saginaw County's first child advocacy center, United for Kids. Through her tireless efforts as Executive Director and with the help of fantastic staff, she helped deliver justice and healing to children with traumatic experiences. She ended her career of healing and help as the Director of the Employee Wellness Center at Saginaw Child and Family Services. Pam could never be too busy and in addition to her duties as a social worker, she was an active fitness buff. She loved teaching and sharing her passions through conducting exercise classes and as a guest lecturer at her alma mater, Saginaw Valley State University. She was also active throughout her life at Hopevale, the church she attended for most of her adult life. She is survived by her loving husband Steve Mays of Saginaw Township; son, Ian (Amanda) Mays of Lansing, MI; daughter, Erin (Jon) VanOss of Grand Rapids; grandson, Liam Mays of Lansing; sister, Nancy (Mike) Sherman of Saint Charles, MO; brother, Brian (Amy) Knight of Lake Linden, MI; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. FUNERAL: Funeral Services will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, July 20, 2015 at Hopevale Church, 4873 N. Center Rd. Pastor Dan Davis will officiate. Burial will follow at Roselawn Memorial Gardens. VISITATION: Friends are welcome to visit with the family at the Deisler Funeral Home, 2233 Hemmeter Rd. (off State) on Sunday, July 19, 2015 from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., as well as on Monday at the church from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service. MEMORIALS: In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy may wish to consider memorials to Corporate Angel Network, Corpangelnetwork.org. Please share your thoughts and memories with the family at the funeral home, church, or online at www.deislerfuneralhome.com.