Pamela Ann Mallon

Pamela Ann Mallon

December 3, 1949 – September 19, 2026

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Pamela Ann Mallon, who passed away peacefully and entered into Heaven on Saturday, September 19, 2026.

Pam was born in Los Angeles on December 3, 1949, to Dr. Laurence Van Hale and Winifred Van Hale. She was the second of three children and the only daughter. She spent nearly her entire life in San Marino, the city she loved and called home. Pam would proudly tell people that she had the rare privilege of living her entire life within a five-mile radius of the house where she grew up.

Pam graduated from Mayfield Senior School in 1967 and went on to attend the University of Southern California, earning her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts Studies in 1972, followed by a Master of Education in Special Education and her teaching credential in 1978.

Teaching wasn’t simply Pam’s profession—it was part of who she was. She spent 43 years educating and advocating for children with special needs, including 41 years with the Pasadena Unified School District. She began at Roosevelt School in Pasadena, teaching her first special day class, and went on to serve in many roles, including teacher, administrator, TOSA, and Director of the PALS program, a position she was especially proud of.

But Pam never really stopped teaching.

She taught her children. She taught her grandchildren. She taught her friends. She taught anyone who was willing to listen. She shared recipes, family stories, advice, history, lessons from her own life, and whatever else she thought might be helpful. Later in her career, she shared her knowledge with future educators as an adjunct professor at California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Pam was a teacher in the truest sense of the word. She loved learning, but she loved sharing what she knew even more.

In 1971, Pam married the love of her life, John Joseph Mallon of Long Beach. Together they had three children and shared nearly 23 wonderful years before John passed away in 1994. Pam later married Tim Dornaus in 2000. Tim preceded her in death in 2019.

Pam is survived by her children, Margot (Christopher Heil), Vanessa (Ben Jordan), and Andrew (Jennifer Mallon); her brothers, Dr. Phillip “Pip” Van Hale (Dr. Harriet Van Hale) and Dr. Greg Van Hale (Claire Van Hale); and her six beloved grandchildren, Luke, Paul, Ada, Henry, Chloe, and John. She also leaves behind numerous brothers- and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, friends, and loved ones.

Pam had an extraordinary memory and an almost endless supply of stories. She was the family’s unofficial historian and genealogist, able to remember people, places, and stories from generations past that the rest of us had long forgotten. She loved her daily crossword puzzles, gardening, crocheting, weekly bingo games, keeping her home beautiful, entertaining, and, most of all, cooking.

Pam was a fabulous cook. Food was one of the ways she showed love. She took great joy in preparing meals for family and friends and bringing people together around her table. Her famous Caesar salad dressing became almost legendary. If you were lucky enough to taste it, you knew it was special. And if you asked her for the recipe, she would gladly give it to you. Pam never kept her knowledge to herself. Sharing it was simply who she was.

But nothing brought Pam more joy than being a mother and grandmother.

She absolutely adored her children and grandchildren and embraced being a Grandma or “Gamma” with her entire heart. She wasn’t the kind of grandmother who simply showed up now and then. She showed up for everything. She cheered loudly, celebrated every accomplishment, got down on the floor to play, encouraged every dream, and made sure her grandchildren always knew how proud she was of them. She was their biggest fan.

In her later years, Pam treasured the adventures she shared with her family—trips to Europe and Mexico, visits to Disneyland, adventures back East to Washington, D.C., concerts attended and countless school programs, sporting events, and activities. Wherever her family was, Pam wanted to be there.

If there was one word that could describe Pam, it might be cheerleader.

She was the loudest, brightest, most enthusiastic person in the room, and if you were lucky enough to have Pam in your corner, you knew it. She believed in the people she loved. She celebrated them. She encouraged them. And she never hesitated to let them know how proud she was.

Pam experienced profound loss throughout her life, but she continued to move forward with faith, optimism, humor, and gratitude. She began her days early with prayer and always tried to find the bright side. When one of her children was facing a setback, disappointment, or broken heart, Pam often offered the same simple advice:

“Live one day at a time.”

Those words were more than advice. They were how Pam lived.

Her family is deeply grateful to everyone who cared for Pam, supported her, encouraged her, and loved her throughout her life and battle with cancer. The kindness shown to Pam and to her family during her battle will not be forgotten.

A funeral Mass will be held on Friday, November 20, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Saint Hedwig Catholic Church in Los Alamitos, California. A reception celebrate her life to follow at Old Ranch Country Club. Her interment will take place on Monday, November 23, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at All Souls Cemetery in Long Beach, California.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Pam’s memory to City of Hope in support of cancer research and treatment.

Pam leaves behind a lifetime of lessons, laughter, stories, recipes, memories, and, most importantly, people whose lives are better because she was in them.

She taught so many.

She loved fiercely.

She showed up.

She cheered the loudest.

And she made sure the people she loved knew they were loved.

That was Pam.

And she will be deeply, deeply missed.

May Pamela Ann Mallon rest peacefully in Heaven, and may her beautiful spirit, generous heart, sense of humor, and unwavering love live on through the many lives she touched.