Remembering Pam Wauchop

Remembering

Pam Wauchop

Pam Wauchop (nèe Mower) passed away peacefully May 16, 2022. Pam was at St Margaret’s College in the mid 1930s and was featured in the Spring 2021 edition of Evergreen magazine when she turned 100 years old. You can read about Pam’s life as written by her family here.

Pam was born in Christchurch in 1921 – the first child of World War 1 returnee, Billy Mower, and his wife Ivy.

She grew up in Sumner, a sporty girl, a swimmer, a runner and a tennis player – sports she continued for much of her life.

Her early school years were at Sumner school – she graduated to St Margaret’s senior school in the mid 1930s. She and her best friend Lorrie Archibald (née Dawe) would catch the tram from Sumner into Cathedral Square and walk the remaining few blocks to St Margaret’s in Cranmer Square. Pam made friends for life during her time at SMC. And she would return to the school as a committee member of the Old Girls’ Association, and as Vice President for the Golden Jubilee year in 1960.

A debutante in 1938, she caught the eye of the handsome young Hal Wauchop, and in 1941 they became engaged. Hal had enlisted in the army, and Pam joined the Women’s Auxiliary Airforce (WAAF) in 1942. They married while Hal was on a week’s leave in 1942.

She resigned from the WAAF at the end of 1944 to have the first of her four children in 1945.

The 1950s were the family years – with picnics, camping trips and parties with friends and neighbours in Glandovey and Ilam Roads.

Pam and Hal had their first big overseas adventure in 1968, just as the world was turning on its head. They saw first hand the riots in Los Angeles and Paris. They also saw Miles Davis up close at the Village Voice! With the children reaching independence, Pam opened her own business – a craft gallery in the McKenzie and Willis Arcade. The family home became a gallery in its own right as choice pieces became too irresistible to sell! Pam continued to play tennis at the Elmwood Club, but she also took up bridge. She and her partner Yvonne Shepherd were formidable players – right up until a couple of years ago.

Her legacy to her family – alongside the beautiful house and garden she has created in Maidstone Rd – has been – and continues to be her everlasting curiosity and her enduring interest in the world around her.

For over 30 years we’ve combined our passion for food with the finest local ingredients to turn events held in homes, businesses, and local venues into deliciously memorable occasions. Whether using our professional staff or catering delivered to your home we will work with you to surpass every expectation.