Pamela Moffitt, program assistant in the Department of English, died suddenly Dec. 1. She began working for the department in August, just a few short months ago, but she will be remembered fondly by her colleagues.
Janet Warman, associate chair of the English Department, said, “She had not been with us very long, but she immediately connected with people and we connected with her. She was just a very kind, calming presence in the department as a whole — a really helpful, really fine person.”
“She was absolutely wonderful and such a gift for us as colleagues and for our students, and she was just always extraordinarily kind and generous,” said Julia Delacroix, assistant professor of English. “I know we’re all so grateful to have been able to work with her.”
Prudence Layne, an associate professor of English, met Moffitt when she began working at Elon University in 2007 as an assistant in the Multicultural Center.
“She was very much … about service and she really organized us, kept us together,” Layne said. “But [Moffit] always had such a beautiful smile, spirit and energy, which is what we so desperately need in the world, but in our department too, because we’re always so busy. We will miss her tremendously.”
Chair of the English Department Jean Schwind sent an email to English majors sharing the sad news, in which she said Moffitt would be remembered as someone who “kept our house in great order – organizing events like the Sigma Tau Delta induction and visiting-writer residencies; maintaining many databases and budgets; supplying Drew with "fun-colored" pens ("anything but red!") for marking up student manuscript – and good spirits."
Before coming to Elon, Moffitt was an administrative assistant to the President's Office at Bennett College and executive assistant in the nanoscience department at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She also spent some time working at Prime Personnel Resources in Burlington.
She was a U.S. Air Force veteran and graduate of the University of Central Florida.
Her funeral will be held early Dec. 9 in Siler City, North Carolina, and the English department's holiday party that afternoon has been changed to a celebration of Moffitt's time with the department.
There will be a celebration for English Department faculty, majors, and minors at 4:15 p.m. that evening on the third floor of Alamance Building, according to an email to English majors.
According to Layne, a bench dedication will take place this spring.