Pamela Sexton

SEXTON Pamela Papka died Thursday, June 12, 2014, at her home in Lexington, surrounded by the love of her family. She passed peacefully after a year-long battle with cancer. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert F. Sexton, her older brother Gerald E. Peyton, and her parents Ouita Peyton, nee Zimmerman, and Perry E. Peyton. Pam leaves her children to celebrate and remember her life: Ouita Papka (Christopher) Michel of Midway; Paige Papka (Travis) Walker of Lexington and Perry Aaron Papka of Frankfort; stepchildren Rebecka Byrne Sexton of Roanoke, Virginia; Robert Byrne Sexton of Sunnyvale, California; grandchildren Willa Dru Michel, Wyatt VanArsdall Walker, Julia Thomas Walker and Lily Katherine Schade; sister, Jacquelin (Tom) Buchanan of Fort Collins, Colorado; her nephews, Eric Buchanan, Bruce, Brian and Greg Peyton; the father of her children, Dr. Raymond Papka; and many beloved cousins and dear friends. A poet, writer and artist, Pam was born January 13, 1946, in Thermopolis, Wyoming, to Ouita and Perry E. Peyton. She was influenced early on by her parents' passion for education and volunteerism and found great encouragement in other pursuits from her beloved grandparents Aaron Rufus and Molly Myrtle Zimmerman with whom she spent countless hours learning to play the piano and listening to opera on the phonograph. Even as a young student, Pam had a particular facility for science, writing, and art--subjects that engendered life-long passions. Cheerleading and car-hopping helped her keep her balance. She lived in Laramie, Wyoming, New Orleans, Louisiana and San Juan, Puerto Rico, before moving to Kentucky in the early 1970s. Pam was a loving mother, grandmother and an excellent cook--a skill and passion she passed to all of her children, along with her love of music, art, politics and community involvement. Her home always had space for drawing, sculpting, painting or even batiking. The music room was filled with various musical instruments and stacks of sheet music, the walls filled with art and the shelves stacked with books. Her mother often remarked that "Pam knew no strangers," and she had a gift for friendship and connection with others. The outdoors truly fed Pam's soul and the beauty and originality found on the walls of the Sexton home extended into her garden. That special space reflected the love she and Bob had for nature, which also took them on numerous hiking and fishing trips, often to her beloved home state of Wyoming. Her life was enriched by a diversity of professional experiences from banking to business writing to women's health and especially by her passion for and participation in the arts and creative pursuits. Having studied at the University of Kentucky, Pam completed a Masters of Fine Arts in Writing at Spalding University in Louisville in 2003. She also studied sculpture at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Cambridge Arts Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was a founding member of KaBooM (the Kentucky Book Mafia), a writing group dedicated to excellence in writing and advocacy for literary arts and artists, and Mosaic, a group of women poets. Her written work was widely published in Kentucky, and she was the recipient of the Oswald creative award in poetry from the University of Kentucky and the Leadingham Prize for Poetry from the Frankfort Arts Foundation. She continued her passion for learning and the arts in tenures as Chair of the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning in Lexington and Board Vice-President of the Kentucky Folk Art Center in Morehead. She also served on the boards of the Lexington Children's Theatre, the Lexington Arts and Cultural Council, and the Lexington Philharmonic. A fierce advocate for improving Kentucky's schools, Pam was a founding member of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, a nationally recognized citizens' organization now in its fourth decade of working to ensure all Kentuckians receive the highest-quality education. Her active service continued until her death. Pam's words to members of the Prichard Committee marking the group's 25th anniversary convey the sentiments her countless friends and loved ones would express to her: "Thank you for being a persistent ray of light and heat and sound, for changing directions, creating directions, for climbing the walls for reflecting what is good and great about Kentucky." A celebration of Pam's life will be held at 11am Wednesday, June 18 at Midway Christian Church in Midway, Kentucky with a reception to follow at Holly Hill Inn-all are welcome. Visitation will be held Tuesday, June 17 from 5-8pm at Milward Funeral Home, 159 North Broadway in Lexington. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations in Pam's memory to two of her most beloved organizations: Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, 271 West Short Street, Suite 202, Lexington, KY 40502, In Memoriam for Pamela Papka Sexton, or the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning, 251 West 2nd Street, Lexington, KY 40502, In Memoriam for Pamela Papka Sexton. www.milwardfuneral.com