Pamela Duin

Pamela "Pam" Harriet Duin was a caring wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. She left this world on November 1, 2021 a few short weeks after celebrating her 80th birthday. 
She was born to Peter and Estelle on October 10, 1941 in Passaic, New Jersey. After graduating from high school in Fair Lawn, Pam chased her dreams of becoming a teacher and attended Paterson State College, graduating in 1963. While there she met the love of her life, Don Duin, a fellow educator, and together they had 3 children: Edye, Curtis, and Courtney. 
Pam loved teaching and had a successful career that spanned 25 years. She started her career at Lakeland Regional High School, not much older than the students she was teaching, but creating an unbreakable bond with them that would continue all her life. Pam was an incredible teacher and lived for all of her students. Everyone knew of Mrs. Duin and her wrath, but those that were actually privileged enough to have been in her class, knew the real story. They loved her energy, enthusiasm, and craziness and looked forward to Monday to see what hair color she would be sporting as they frequently changed like the wind. She could best be described by her students as strict, but fair, having high expectations, all while drinking her diet coke and flashing her jewelry, ending her career at Lakeland Regional High School where she began. 
Aside from teaching, Pam was an avid reader and loved gardening. She spent her summers reading her favorite Stephen King novels and creating an amazing landscaped yard with Don. Traveling was also another one of her favorite things and she and her family had many amazing adventures in their RV. Being a former history teacher, Pam wanted to stop at every brown sign on the side of a highway that documented a historical landmark nearby. When she wasn't looking you could hear her kids shouting to Don, "Go faster, we aren't stopping again!" When not driving up and down the East Coast visiting historical places, the RV was parked in her favorite spot, Cape May, where she could be found swimming in the ocean.
After Pam retired, she spent her later years doting on her grandchildren, the true loves of her life. They were all born close in age, so the house filled up very quickly. Nicole was born in February, with Ralphie coming in July of the same year. The following year, C.J. was born in April and a year and a half later, Ryan entered her life. At that point she was complete and the long awaited swimming pool that her own 3 children had hoped for in their teen years, would then be installed with an extra large shallow end, so the babies had enough room to swim.
Pamela is predeceased by her parents Peter and Estelle and her brother Michael. Pamela is survived by her loving husband, Donald and her 3 children Edye and her husband Edward, her son Curtis, and her daughter Courtney and her husband Ralph. She is also survived by her 4 loving grandchildren, Nicole, Ralph, Curtis Jr., and Ryan.
The family will receive their friends on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 from 4-8 PM at Gaita Memorial Home located at 154 Newark Pompton Turnpike, Little Falls, NJ with a prayer at 6 PM. Funeral services will be held at St. John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Church, 29 Weaver Street, Little Falls, NJ on Thursday, November 4 at 10:30 AM with a repast to follow at 12 PM at The Brownstone in Paterson, NJ. Please meet directly at church. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be given to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or www.stjude.org  Envelopes will also be provided by the funeral home during visiting hours.