Pamela Sue Sassman

Beloved by many, Pamela Grant-Sassman passed away of natural causes on July 3, 2025.

Pamela was born March 14, 1964, in Iowa City, Iowa, to David and Joan Grant. The family settled in Boone, Iowa, in 1966.

She was a good student and excelled at sports, piano, and violin. In high school, Pamela especially enjoyed running cross country and playing tennis. In 1982, she headed to her parents' alma mater and became an Iowa Hawkeye, where she studied broadcast journalism. She was a member of Alpha Phi sorority and, in 1983, joined the sisterhood of P.E.O. After graduation, she worked in editing for a book publisher in Chicago.

After vacationing in Los Angeles, she was enamored and promptly moved there. She was hired away from her first LA job by television producer Mike Binder and later worked as a production assistant for the Chevy Chase Show.

Later, Pam felt called to become a teacher and excelled in this role at the LA Unified School District before moving back to her hometown to be closer to her family. She earned her Master of Education in School Counseling at Iowa State University.

"Miss Sassman" then had a long, purposeful career as a primary school counselor in the Ames, Iowa, school district, where she touched the lives of countless students and earned the respect of her colleagues.

While still in Los Angeles, Pamela was diagnosed with the first of three types of cancer she would overcome over the next 22 years.

Pamela was married twice: first to Philippe Derey of Los Angeles, and later to Troy Sassman, a fellow Iowan with whom she had two beautiful daughters, Alaina and Olivia. Troy and Pamela remained close friends after their marriage ended, and he and his wife Robin were a great support to her over the years.

Funny, hardworking, caring, fun to be around, thoughtful, and a great hostess would describe well who Pam was. Holidays at her house were full of beauty, wonder, and delicious food.

Her daughters were her world, and her spirituality was rooted in her Christian faith.

Pamela was preceded in death by her mother, Joan Vander Naald.

She is survived by her father, Dr. David Grant; her daughters, Alaina Sassman and Olivia Sassman; two brothers, Jeff (Jian) Grant and Jerrod (Tina) Grant; two sisters, Beth Grant and Jennifer (Jason) Bailey; nephews: Hakon Grant, Jackson Bailey, Quincy Bailey and Connor Grant; niece, Nora Grant; step-siblings: John (Lisa) Wing, Mike (Kim) Wing and Jill (Eric) Lacher; step-nephews: Jack (Taylor) Wing, Luke Wing, Asher Wing and Braydon Wing; and step-nieces, Kate (Danny) Brown and Charlotte Wing.

Funeral services will be at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, July 11, 2025, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Boone, with Pastor Jessten Heimer officiating. Visitation with the family present to greet friends will take place before the service from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church. A private family graveside service will be at Mount Hope Cemetery in Mapleton, Iowa.

The funeral service will be live-streamed on the Schroeder-Stark-Welin Funeral Home Facebook Page. The live stream will start 5 minutes before the service (2:55 p.m.) and can be accessed at: https://www.facebook.com/SchroederStarkWelin

If you wish to make a memorial in her memory, the family suggests a donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Schroeder-Stark-Welin Funeral Home, 515-432-4550.