Pamala Jean (Dockery) King, the ultimate “what you see is what you get” person, was born in rural Ventura County at a time when farms and ranches filled the landscape.
Her family lived in sleepy Camarillo. She always said she lived a fantastic and surprising life that was filled with love, joy, and lots of excitement.
Pam graduated from Rio Mesa High School in 1974 and loved every minute of being a Spartan. She was privileged to have had a great group of lifelong girlfriends who allowed her to be herself without fear. Pam was “one of those California Scholarship Federation” kids, but also voted “Most Radical” during her senior year after writing some controversial but thought-provoking letters to the editor of the local paper. She was editor of El Espartano Valiente, the ’73-’74 yearbook, wrote poetry and drew pictures for the school publication, found time for student council and spirit clubs, and played clarinet in the marching band.
Once she could drive, free summer days were spent at the beach. She used to say: “It was a great time. A friend or two, my towel, my transistor radio, and a burger. What a great way to enjoy sunny California.” In addition, she was always working for spending money as an A&W Root Beer drive-in counter girl, an aide at the local convalescent hospital, and, of course, as a babysitter.
In 1976, she transferred from California State University, Chico to California Hospital School of Nursing in Los Angeles. The next three years were both work and fun. Her unending energy and relish for living life, which earned her the nursing school “Sparkplug” award, naturally led her to the L.A. nightclubs and the dance floors, where she taught herself to disco dance, and she loved it.
In 1979, at a St. Patrick’s Day party hosted by an Assistant U.S. Attorney and his sister, who just happened to be a nursing school classmate and friend of Pam’s, she saw George King (a former assistant U.S. attorney) and asked him to dance to “What a Fool Believes.” She said she had no idea then that she had just met the love and transformational figure of her life. Midway through their first date, Pam knew she was in love with and going to marry George. They were married in Pasadena on November 8, 1980.
George had just left his large firm to start a brand-new practice. Pam helped to support George by working as a full-time oncology R.N. To Pam, nursing was not just a job; she treated each patient with the personal care and kindness anyone facing a life-threatening disease needed and deserved.
By 1981, things were going well with George’s practice, so nurse Pam enrolled at UCLA to finish up her bachelor’s degree in political science. Following that she went to law school. During spring break in her second year of law school in 1985, Pam gave birth to the couple’s only child, Andrew “Drew” King, and was away from school for just one week. Pam graduated from USC Law in 1986, took and passed the California Bar Examination on her first try.
That same year, Pam and her family moved to San Marino where she lived for the next thirty-seven years. Her life was filled with birthday celebrations, family holidays, dinner parties, Drew’s sports activities and school, and summer trips throughout the country, particularly the Southwest. The three Kings were hilarious together. There were loads of laughter, ridiculous jokes, and then there was work, lots of work.
In 1988, Pam left her first employment at the conservative mid-sized firm of McCutchen, Black, Verleger & Shea for the small boutique firm of Hennigan & Mercer, a uniquely capable trial firm. Pam was a key member of the team of lawyers who prosecuted and defended multiple very high-profile cases, among them cases against the Disney Company, ARCO, and MGM, the defense of parties in the then largest civil RICO action in the country, and the prosecution of breach of fiduciary duty actions on behalf of Orange County against various brokerages as part of the O.C. Bankruptcy Proceedings in 1995. She often described her work as an “E” ticket ride — a reference to the old ticket books Disneyland issued upon entrance to the park. She retired from the law for good in 2012.
Once retired, Pam dove into being an uber supportive wife to George, the then chief judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California and held get-to-know-you-better dinner parties for the judges. In addition, she wrote, copyrighted, and published two children’s chapter books and copyrighted a murder mystery.
She became an accomplished organic gardener whose front and back yards were the envy of the neighborhood. She even successfully lobbied the city of San Marino to change its then anti-farm animal law to allow residents to legally raise chickens in their backyard. That was a change in the law that reverberated and received news attention across this state and as far away as Australia. Pam and George raised 3 chicks that produced many fresh and beautiful eggs that Pam shared with friends and family.
In 2016, the couple was astonished, but pleased, by the marriage of their son, a then devout bachelor, to the beautiful and wonderfully talented Maya Tao, an attorney. They were surprised again and again in 2020 and 2022 with the births of their grandchildren, first Maximilian and later Charlotte. The babies brought Pam great joy and calm; the family’s future was secured.
Pam was diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer in 2002, at stage 0. It resurfaced in 2013, as stage 4. Pam continued her courageous fight, this time at the City of Hope under the expert care of Stephen Forman, M.D. and James Waisman, M.D.
In early 2022, Pam volunteered for the first in-human CAR-T cell therapy for solid tumor breast cancer at The City of Hope (with Dr. Forman and Yuan Yuan, M.D.). Her hope was that it would cure her but, if not, perhaps it would lead to greater insights that would cure other women down the road. Her generosity of spirit shone through even during desperate times.
Pam’s long battle against breast cancer concluded on May 19, 2023. She passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones. Pam is survived by her husband and very best friend, the Hon. George H. King (U.S. District judge, ret.); son Andrew “Drew” King; daughter-in-law Maya King; grandson Maximilian King; granddaughter Charlotte King; sisters Barbara Shufani and Lucinda Wurtz; stepbrother Edward Lambert, III; several nieces and a nephew; and stepmother Gwen Dockery. Her passing has especially shattered the hearts of the two most important men in her life, George & Drew. Thus concludes the life story of a remarkable woman who was as kind and giving as she was accomplished.
At Pam’s request, there will be no memorial service. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the City of Hope, Duarte, CA, or Casa Pacifica, Camarillo, CA.
