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Pam Bernard Obituary
Walpole, NH - Award-winning poet, author, and beloved Walpole writing teacher Pam Bernard died peacefully on February 22, 2026, at the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative & Hospice Care in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
Born October 21, 1944, in Branford, Connecticut, Pam was the youngest of nine siblings. Pam moved to New York City at 19 and immersed herself in the city's creative scene. There, she met her husband, Harry Bernard.
The couple moved to New England, settling in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in 1971. Pam juggled motherhood with artistic pursuits, eventually becoming a curator at the Brockton Art Museum. She went back to college in her 40s, earning a degree from Harvard College and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Warren Wilson College.
Pam taught at Emerson College, Franklin Pierce University, Keene State College, and other institutions. She led highly sought-after memoir workshops in Walpole, New Hampshire, where she moved in 2001. She published three poetry collections and Esther: A Novel in Verse, and received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and the MacDowell Colony, along with many prizes for her poetry.
Pam is survived by her son Galen, daughter Shea, and their families. Pam will be remembered for her unwavering belief in her students and her gift for helping them find their voices. Donations in her name can be made to the Friends of the Keene Public Library, 60 Winter St., Keene, NH 03431.
A memorial service will take place at 3 p.m. on April 18, 2026, at the Hastings House in Walpole, NH. For more information, email [email protected].
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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