Flora M. Pamer

Flora M. Pamer passed away on Sunday morning, August 26, 2018, at Ohio Living Park Vista.  A memorial service celebrating Flora's life will be held on Saturday September 8th, 11:00am  at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 1107 Elm Street, Youngstown, Ohio.

Flora was born to Florian and Theresa (Jochum) Buchner in Curitiba, Brazil  on July 2, 1926.  Unaware of the political climate, her family moved back to Munich, Germany when she was 11 years old.  Following the war, Flora met and fell in love with her American soldier, "Bill", coming to Youngstown in 1947.  They enjoyed 68 loving married years together until his passing in 2015.

Flora graduated from Business College in Munich, Germany.  Yet her desire to integrate into American culture, prompted her to enroll into the senior year at Austintown Fitch High School, graduating with the class of 1952.  Later she enrolled at Youngstown College, later Youngstown State University, completing a major in Accounting and German literature, with a minor in Spanish.

She began her career as a bookkeeper with the former Palace Theater, followed by accepting a position as accountant for Sidney Greenberger, who owned a chain of hardware stores, known as Gray Auto Stores.  She rose through the company as treasurer, to General Manager, and ultimately buying the business.  Upon her retirement in the late 1980's, she closed the last store, known as Tip Top Sales in Struthers, Ohio.

Flora's life passions were many and diverse.  She enjoyed her colorful backyard of flowers, trees, and vegetable garden, and loved entertaining guests on her deck, under the grape arbor. 

Music infused Flora's joyful spirit on a daily basis.

She  participated for close to 60 years with the former Saxon Club Concordia Chorus, always providing a soprano solo at the choir's annual Goulash Dinner concerts, and never failing to sell many tickets to this popular local event.  The highlight of Flora's choir experience was the 1976 Saxon Club Concordia Chorus concert tour of Saxon communities in Germany accompanied by her husband Bill, and her children, also members of the choir. Later in life, she decided to learn piano, and enjoyed 40 years of lessons with well known local pianist  Frank Terantino, until his passing his 2014.  Flora especially enjoyed playing  Chopin.

In 1990, Flora joined the Small Business Administration's volunteer division: SCORE , and enjoyed 25 years mentoring small businesses,  retiring in 2015.  During  her participation, she was voted in as Chapter Chair twice, serving a total of 5 years. Flora was one of the first Chairs to offer a local website, won a J.C. Penney grant to purchase office computer equipment, and organized local workshops throughout the Mahoning Valley.   National SCORE recognized her achievements and presented her with SCORE Youngstown Chapter of the Year Award in late 1990's.

Flora loved reading, the library, was a gifted writer,  and for many years wrote a  popular column " From Where We Came", for the German/Saxon newspaper, The Volksblatt.  Her narratives featured the behind the scene stories of Saxons arriving in Youngstown, displaced from war torn Transylvania, now part of Romania.  Most recently she joined the Youngstown TORCH Club, a dinner/discussion  organization and presented three well written papers on topics close to her heart: The Amazon, How the Marshall Plan Rebuilt Germany, and the History of Humor.

Flora and Bill were constant companions and loved life together. Their travels took them to Europe to be with family, and  especially to countries where Flora could practice her Spanish! A memorable trip back to Brazil was taken in 1989, where she was embraced by two former neighbors who remembered her, and her family.

Flora loved her cats and dogs and supported the Animal Charity League, Angels for Animals, and Westside Cats, and never hesitated to help rescue an animal in need.

Flora will be missed by all whose lives she touched with kindness, compassion, and love, but especially her children and family. She leaves behind to cherish her memory, daughter Janet (Moy) and husband Phil LaMonica, son Florian and wife Karla Pamer, and step-grandchildren Zack, Madison, and Ashley Hadean, who called her "Oma",  nephew Josef (Christa) Eckl, of Munich, Germany, and their children Susanne of Berlin, Germany, and Gabi Eckl-Kriegl of Munich, her closest friends Hermine Gentile and Rosemarie Kascher, her cat "Mimi", plus many other friends and family in Germany.

Besides her parents, Flora was preceded in death by her husband William in 2015, her two sisters Johanna Martin, brother-in-law Hans,  Wilhelmina Schambeck , brother-in-law Wilhelm, and niece Gabrielle Schambeck, all of Munich, Germany.

The family wishes to express appreciation and thanks to the wonderful care received by staff at Ohio Living/Park Vista.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.