Pamela Marguerite Loraine Stanfield

On Tuesday, Jan 20, 2026, another angel was called home. Pamela Marguerite Loraine Stanfield passed peacefully in her sleep in the Duke Medical ICU following a long battle with multiple health issues. She was surrounded by those who loved her most, her husband Wayne, her son Ricky, and her daughter Raquel as the veil of pain was lifted from her face and she was finally pain free.

Pamela was born on February 15, 1946, in Calcutta, India to her wonderful parents, the late John Ernest Drane and the late Doris Primrose Marguerite Inglis Drane. At 6 months old, she traveled with her parents on a troop ship to Liverpool, England as WWII ended. Pamela and her family settled in Ipswich, Suffolk, where her father was a police officer until his death in 1973. Pamela was a 1962 graduate of Westbourne High School in Ipswich and attended Ipswich Civic College.

Pamela met the love of her life, Wayne Edward Stanfield, from Alton, VA in England in June 1965 and they were married at the St. Mary & St. Bolotph Church in Ipswich, Suffolk, on December 11, 1965. She never wanted to leave her beloved England but followed her soulmate for just over 60 years. Wayne served his country in the United States Air Force for 20 years, including a tour in Vietnam in 1969-70 when Pamela took the children to live with her parents in England. During his military career, Pamela and Wayne made homes in New Jersey, Delaware, New Hampshire, and California, as well as living in England for 10 years.

Pamela was the proud mother of a son, Dr. Ricky Wayne Stanfield, PhD, born on her 21st birthday, February 15, 1967. From childhood, she wanted nothing more than to be a mother and was always proud that Ricky was born on her birthday. She was also the proud mother of a soulmate daughter, Raquel Marguerite Morgan, born on May 21, 1969, just 6 weeks before Wayne shipped out to Vietnam. Raquel was to be Pam’s best friend and companion, and as they grew older, they both somehow understood the complicated minds of each other and brought each other much peace.

Pamela was a stay-at-home mother that cherished the raising of her children. She always said that the first hour after the children came home from school was the most important minutes of the day. Pamela never wanted a career and was fortunate that she never had to work. Her career was caring for her family, a job she did with great love and dedication.

Pamela was a woman of deep faith and took great comfort in God’s love for her. She was christened and confirmed in the Anglican Church in England and raised her family to be good Christians. It happened that despite living in New Jersey, both her son and daughter were christened at Trinity Episcopal Church in South Boston and in later years, both were confirmed at Trinity.

When Wayne retired from the Air Force in 1983 after 20 years as an air traffic controller, the last place she thought they would settle would be back here in Halifax County. But fate had a different plan. Giving Ricky and Raquel roots was important so Pamela and Wayne stayed in Halifax County where both Ricky and Raquel graduated from Halifax County High School. Wayne built a career as a businessman in the healthcare industry and as a business consultant. From 2000 to 2006, Wayne and Pamela owned The Vintner’s Cellar along with longtime friend and partner Gene Haugh. During this period, Pam created a home décor shop within the Cellar and did all her own purchasing and merchandising.

Pam’s lifelong passion was her home and her garden. She took great pride in every design detail and every color chosen. Her love of her garden meant spending countless hours planning over the winter and drawing layouts of where she wanted every plant when Spring came. She would peer out the window waiting for the first signs of Spring and new life. When she could no longer physically do it herself, Wayne became her gardening partner, and he would dig and plant for her at her meticulous directions.

She put her decorating expertise to work and created dream homes for her and her family. From her first home, a mobile home, in New Jersey, to the military quarters all around the country and in England, to E. Oak Hill Drive, to Halifax Road, to Edgewood, she planned every aspect of her homes, and each place was a showpiece. Her eye for art and form was unmatched and everyone who visited her home was inspired by the attention to detail and nothing was ever out of place. Over the years, she collected many original art works from local artist as well from around Virginia, Asheville, NC and Savanah, GA. Her favorite artist was the late Jonas Gerard, a resident artist in Asheville and even though she was not well, she and Wayne traveled to Asheville in 2024 to buy the last painting for her wall.

Her garden was truly her peaceful place, and she would spend hours tending to her flowers and her beloved koi pond. She was asked by the Garden Club to show her home on a Spring Homes tour, and it was the hit of the tour with over 100 people visiting her home and gardens. The garden was so beautiful that several couples used the pond and bridge as backdrops for their wedding photos.

She was never happier than when she became a grandmother to three wonderful grandchildren, Ian James Morgan, Jessica Marie Stanfield, and Samuel Quintin Stanfield. She was devoted to them and made a lasting impression on their lives. With lifelong health issues, she never thought she would live to see grandchildren, but she did and also got to be a great grandmother to two beautiful great grandsons, Ian John Morgan, and Nolan Fisher Morgan.

Until 2019 Pam traveled back to England one or twice a year to visit her family there. Her dear brother, Ernest Quintin Drane and his wife, Margaret, are feeling a deep sense of loss. Pam and Ernie were soulmates throughout their lives. She hadn’t been able to travel to England for 6 years but there were video chats every few months that lasted hours. She also loved her two wonderful nieces, the late Emma Radziuniene and Sara Martin and three great nieces, Roma Radziunaite, Lija Radziunaite, and Isobel Martin, and one great nephew Sol Martin. She will also be greatly missed by her cousin, Shelley King, and her partner Trilby, from London. Her American family that feels her loss includes her brother-in-law, Cecil Stanfield and his wife Pamela, and her nieces, Valerie Podlin, Kathy Stanfield, and nephew Robert Stanfield, all residing in Mississippi.

As a very private person, Pamela never wanted a public funeral and preferred to be cremated in a private family service. There will be a Spring graveside burial service with family and closest friends at the Halifax Columbarium in the Memorial Gardens. Since her love was always children, in lieu of any flowers, she requests that you instead make a donation in her honor to her charity of choice, Save the Children (www.savethechildren.org).

Brooks Lyon Funeral and Cremation Services is honored to be serving the Stanfield family and offers online condolences by visiting their website, www.brookslyon.com, by going to their Facebook page, or to the home address.