Obituary - Pamela Ann Hillery

Sept. 14, 2016, Pamela Ann Hillery passed away surrounded by her family.

She would never say that she fought a brave battle with ALS, but instead that she relished the opportunity to truly appreciate the wonderful life she was given and the chance to say a proper goodbye to all the family and friends she loved so very much.

Pam was born as the baby into a large Irish-Catholic family in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, July 26, 1960. Her family moved to Columbus, Ohio, when she was 1, so her first memories were from there. In 1965 they moved to Colonial Heights, Virginia, and then in 1968 to Springfield, Virginia, where most of Pam's schooling occurred. She spent her senior year in Zweibruecken, West Germany, where her father worked for the Department of Defense. She graduated in 1978 from Zweibruecken American High School and went to the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, that fall. Her father died the summer after her junior year, so when she graduated, she and her mother lived together happily in Williamsburg for three years. Pam left in 1985 for a solo cross-country road trip in her trusty Honda Civic to work as a Student Conservation Association park aide at Loon Lake near Reedsport, Oregon. Working in a park cemented her desire to help the environment, which led her to graduate school at the University of Montana, where she earned a master's degree in environmental studies and met the love of her life. She and Paul Tuss were married in 1989 at Georgetown Lake, and lived in Helena, Cut Bank, and Havre, Montana, where they raised Dolan and Caroline.

Pam was fortunate to find employment in restaurants, bookstores, colleges, non-profits, schools and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She always believed every job is important and has honor, and enjoyed when a job allowed her to help people. That carried over to her personal time.

Pam believed strongly in community service, and immersed herself wherever she lived. She gave blood at Red Cross blood drives from the age of 18 until her ALS diagnosis. In Helena she was a CASA volunteer, served on the Solid Waste Task Force, co-founded Trash for Trees, was elected to the Helena Citizens Council and appointed to the Great Northern Redevelopment Committee, and served her church at St. Helena Cathedral. In Havre, she served on the boards of Havre Elementary PTO, St. Jude's Catholic Church, Hi-Line/Northern Showcase Concert Association, Havre-Hill County Crimestoppers, and the Boys and Girls Club of the Hi-Line. She also served for nine years as a member of the Havre City Council. Along the way, she was appointed by the governor to the Montana Board of Crime Control's Youth Justice Council and MSU-N's Local Executive Committee. The hardest thing for Pam to face in the last months of her life was her inability to continue to serve her community and with the people she loved.

She reveled in yard work, gardening, crosswords, music, hiking, soccer and long walks. When she could no longer do those things, she was happy iPads and Netflix existed so she could keep in contact with the world and be entertained.

Pam is survived by her husband of 27 years, Paul Tuss, and their children Dolan and Caroline. She also leaves her siblings Liz Hillery (Ohio), Charlie Hillery (Florida), Mike/Suzee Hillery (South Carolina), Pat/Jerry Warner (Virginia), and Paul/Kath Hillery (California), as well as eight nieces/nephews and one great nephew. She also leaves her beloved Tuss/Troyer/Kennedy/Koch/Lorenz/Jacobs/Clifford family-by-marriage, and her dear friends too numerous to name. You know who you are! And trees planted by or for her.

Special thanks go to Bear Paw Hospice for their loving care. Deb, Liz, and Yolanda were wonderful.

Pam was preceded on this path by her father, mother, niece, brother, sister-in-law, many aunts, uncles, cousins and all grandparents.

Vigil service/wake will be at St.Jude's Catholic Church at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24 at St. Jude's followed by a reception. After cremation, a private family interment in Anaconda will occur.

If you would like to make a memorial, please consider Boys and Girls Club of the Hi-Line, St. Jude Thaddeus Church Parking Lot Fund, Bear Paw Hospice, or the MSUN Foundation Scholarship Fund.

Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services and arrangements.

Please visit Pam's online memorial page at http://www.hollandbonine.com to leave a message of condolence for the family.