Pamela Yates was born in the Bronx and grew up in White Plains, NY. Raised by a Roman Catholic father and a Jewish mother, the dichotomy between these two religions formed a spiritual foundation that helped Pam accept divergent ideas while constantly striving for more information.

As a teenager, Pamela Yates participated in two summer stock companies: The Lake Placid Playhouse and the Dorset (VT) Playhouse. As an adult, she embarked on a career in advertising in New York City, while also singing and traveling with the Sammy Kaye Orchestra on the side. She eventually left her career, and in the mid 1970s moved to Connecticut with her children, Sean and Stacy Reynolds, and married Brock Yates, the well-known automotive journalist, sportscaster, and screenwriter of Cannonball Run. They later moved to Wyoming, a sleepy little village nestled in the verdant valleys of western New York. She and Brock began to revitalize Historic Wyoming -- affectionately known as the Gaslight Village -- and even succeeded beyond their wildest dreams, establishing the Village as one of the most beloved and written about landmark districts in New York State.

In 1993 Pam was faced with a situation that put her spiritual foundation to the test when her son, Sean, a 25-year-old television writer, was diagnosed with a rare form of colon cancer. Mother and son began a year-long journey that all parents pray they may never have to take. Hers is also the story of finding the “peace which passes all understanding” on a road that, as it turns out, no one ever has to travel alone.

A tireless advocate for hospice reform as a result of her family’s experiences, Yates has contributed to several publications, including the American Spectator, and has been featured on the front page of USA Today.