In Loving Memory of Pam Worth

by Abraham Levitan

On August 21st, our dear friend Pam Worth passed away at age 63 after a yearslong battle with multiple myeloma. Along with her husband Ron, Pam served as my business mentor for almost two decades.

While living in northern California with her young and growing family, Pam started Tiny Treks, an outdoor-education program, in 1997. In the decades since, she nurtured Tiny Treks from a dozen families to more than 900 students, maintaining a strong and values-driven culture throughout.

Relocating to Deerfield in 2003 and running the business from afar had no impact on Tiny Treks’ growth, a tribute to Pam’s leadership, presence, and entrepreneurial acumen.

I had the privilege of teaching piano to all four of her children. As I evolved from a solo teacher to a small-business founder, I asked Pam for a recommendation for a mentor. Ever generous with their wisdom and time, Pam and Ron stepped into the role themselves.

The following year, I felt cautiously ready to add a second person to the Piano Power admin team… if I could find the ideal fit. At the perfect moment, Pam suggested her lifelong best friend, Marla, who stepped into the nascent office-manager job like she was born for the role. As a result of Pam’s artful networking, Marla and I have enjoyed working together for 17 years and counting.

My regular meetings with Pam and Ron at their always-bustling house made an incredible impact on my development as a business owner, and on Piano Power’s growth and success.

Pam’s indomitable spirit lives on through the multitude of lives she touched in work and in life. The 270 chairs set up for her beautiful backyard memorial service proved not nearly enough—it was standing-room only.

Much more than her business success, we who loved Pam were there to remember her positivity and can-do spirit, her strong moral center leavened with self-effacing humor, and her gift for engaging in others’ challenges as if they were her own. Pam felt like someone who’d been on this planet before: she could always quiet the background noise and focus on what really mattered.

Through her Worth the Trek team, she and her family became leaders in the journey to find a cure for multiple myeloma. (If you’d like to make a contribution in Pam’s honor, you can find their page here.)

The last time I saw Pam in person was on a snowy January night at a Logan Square restaurant, where Pam, Ron, and I met for a mentorship meeting. We were all delighted that Pam was healthy enough for an in-person meeting, and we looked forward to more time together in the near future.

While I won’t have that opportunity, I could not be more grateful for knowing and growing from this gifted and inspirational human being. Her life and memory will guide me for years to come.

To quote the late great Warren Zevon, enjoy every sandwich (and every lesson, while we’re at it!). Our time with our nearest and dearest means so much, and it goes so fast. May Pam’s memory be a blessing.