Pamela Bernstein, 80, of Galena, IL, passed away on Saturday, December 7, 2024. Her life will be celebrated from 2 to 5 PM on Sunday, December 15, 2024, at the Desoto Hotel in Galena. A private family service will occur at Casper Creek Natural Cemetery, rural Galena. The Furlong Funeral Chapel in Galena is assisting the family. Pamela was born on July 1, 1944, and grew up in Wilson, New York, a small town on Lake Ontario. She graduated from Wilson Central High School and Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. After college, she pursued graduate studies in French at Case Western Reserve University and spent a year living in France. In 1977, Pam moved to Chicago, where she met her husband, Simon. They married in 1980 and lived in the city for several years before relocating to Galena in the mid-1990s. Both were active community members, and Pam served on several boards, including the Galena City Council. Her proudest achievement was starting a city glass recycling program, which opened in 2020 and has since recycled 425 tons of glass. She also enjoyed helping to establish the Bird City program in Galena. She was preceded in death by her parents, Savilla and Delmer Pelton, and her husband, Simon Louis Bernstein. She is survived by her cousin, Emmie Lou Tucker; her sister-in-law, Joan Krawitz; and her nieces, Renee (Michael) Kosiarek and Swamini Saraswati. Pam was fortunate to have wonderful and supportive friends, whom she could never thank enough (they know who they are). She and her former husband shared their home with their cat, Bitsy, and their dog, Daisy. Donations in her name may be made to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) or the Galena Food Pantry.