Pamela Jeanne Riding, beloved, wife, mother, Nan, sister and friend, passed away on October 26, 2026. She was born to J. Mack Barlow and Virgina Reese Barlow in Salt Lake City, Utah, the third of four children.

Pam had the unique experience of attending Highland High School during its opening year beginning in 6th grade and continued as the school grew, graduating with her class in 1962.

In high school, Pam was part of a committee that wrote the school song and chose the school colors. She was proud to perform with fellow drama students in “The King and I” and lettered in drama. She also lettered in art services as well as acapella.

Shortly after graduation, Pam married Hans Wilkes. Together they had 3 children, David born in 1963, Robert born in 1965 and Kristina born in 1968. With her second husband, she welcomed her son Johnny-Mack in 1972.

As a fiercely dedicated and young single mother, she spent the remainder of her adult life raising her four children. She did anything she could to provide for her children while also being a present homemaker. She made and sold neckties and baked goods as well as mended clothing, made dresses and even ironed clothing in a perfect manner only she could provide. She also ran a daycare out of her home, often trading “in kind” payment for babysitting to benefit her family as well as other families in need.

Service was a key part of who Pam was. During her early life she held many callings in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints such as primary worker, compassionate service coordinator and Young Women’s President. During her time as Young Women’s president, she put her high school drama skills to work as she single handedly wrote the Roadshow Play.

Even in her own humble circumstances, Pam continued to serve as her Savior would. It was important to Pam to make everyone in her life feel welcomed, recognized and loved. Her children have said, “our house was the sunshine house”. It was not abnormal for her children to come home from school to find that a family in need was being cared for by their mom. Her doors were always open, her children’s friends knew they were welcome to come and go freely, their home was always bustling with people. She was famous among the neighborhood children for regularly walking out of the house with a tray of beautifully cut tuna sandwiches on any given day.

Pam was often caught by her children kneeling in prayer at her bedside. She knew that the Lord loved her. Prayer guided and sustained her during her years as a single mother and beyond. She loved her Savior, even the mention of Him made her emotional.

Pam worked for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints beginning in 1988. Then, at 50 years old, she took a brief break from working to serve a mission for the church in Quito, Ecuador. During her mission, she served part-time as a financial clerk for the mission, and part-time as a proselyting missionary with other sister missionaries. She loved her mission. The time she spent serving and the people she associated with were incredibly valuable to her. When she returned home, she went back to work at Church Headquarters, her time working there totaling seventeen years.

While working for the church, Pam met the love of her life, Donald J Riding. Their courtship was full of opportunities for them to grow together as an eternal companionship. Anything she liked to do, he would learn, and anything he liked to do, she would learn. Some of these things included hiking, shooting, and making dolls, but most of all, learning to love each other.

Don and Pam were married on July 17, 1999, and later sealed in the Mount Timpanogos Temple. After years of being single, she said he was her “happily ever after”. Don and Pam spent 27 years together living in Lehi, UT. They loved completing and beautifying their yard from scratch which included planting their large garden filled with vegetables, berries, fruit trees, grapevines, etc., then harvesting and using their homegrown produce. They raised chickens, built a dog run (Pam LOVED their dogs, named Lucky and Copper), and cross-bread and planted hundreds of daylilies, Don naming one “Pamela Jeanne” as it was her favorite color. They loved to perfectly manicure their yard together for as long as they were able.

Pam loved watching the Lehi 25th ward and its members grow around her. She regularly said how grateful she was for her ward. Their kindness and service toward her and her sweetheart is invaluable. Her family would like to express their gratitude as well, for the many ward members who continually serve Pam and Don.

Pam loved arts and crafts and would share her skills often. In her younger years, she would call herself a seamstress even making her children’s back to school clothes. Later in her life, she and her daughter Kristina often had craft nights and took classes to make their own porcelain dolls. She loved to crochet and would gift most of her blankets. She taught many friends and family members to crochet and that skill has now been passed down through the younger generations.

Pam was a loving and doting grandmother. Her grandchildren called her “Nan” because as they put it, “she was too young and cool to be a ‘grandma’”. She often even introduced herself to her grandchildren’s friends as “nan” and the young kids from the neighborhood knew her as that as well. She found joy in being a Nan to all. Traditions were important to Pam in her roles as Mom and Nan. Christmas was her favorite time of year, and she enjoyed all her favorite traditions year after year. On the weekend after Thanksgiving, she would host a “Cousin’s Party” to kick off Christmas. This included a sleepover, games, and yummy food. The weekend ended with a family movie at the local theater, where she would sneak in her own food and snacks. She gave Christmas jammies to her grandchildren every Christmas Eve and played Christmas Bingo for Twinkies, Ho-ho’s and Ding Dongs. She loved Christmas brunch at her daughter’s home and visiting each one of her children’s homes to see what Santa brought the grandchildren.

Pam was always put together in a darling outfit and enjoyed looking her best. She loved jewelry, shopping, getting her nails done and hair done. She never missed a Swiss Day’s shopping weekend, Christmas Expo or any excuse to shop till she dropped. She loved to read and share her favorite books with others in hopes they would love them too.

She was a light and a joy to be with. She loved her family and her “honey”, Don, deeply. We will miss you Mom, Nan, Pam. We love you!

Pam is preceded in death by her parents, J Mack and Virginia Barlow, brother, Johnny Barlow, brother-in-law, Nate Colbert and son, David Wilkes. She is survived by her husband, Donald J Riding; sisters, Kathy “Casey” Colbert and Annette Bolton (Greg); their blended family of eleven children, Becky Wilkes, Robert Wilkes (Chardell), Kristina Waters (Dean), Johnny-Mack Barlow, Michelle Trunnell (Mark), Mary Ann Cordner (McKay), Boyd Riding (Jenn), Kerri McEwan (Dan), Lori Hoffman (Kurt), Chris Riding (Tiffany) and Karl Riding; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Services will be held at Pam’s Church Building,1680 West 700 South, Lehi, Utah. Viewings will be held Thursday, October 29, 2026 from 6:00-8:00 pm as well as Friday, October 30, 2026 at 9:30 am. A funeral service will be held after at 11:00 am at the same address. Interment will follow at Lehi City Cemetery, 1100 North 400 East, Lehi, Utah.