Dr. Pamela (Pam) Stevens Cocke died peacefully, after a short illness, surrounded by family and supported by close friends and family near and far, on Sunday May 4 2025. She was born and raised in Clarksdale, Miss.
Pam was a beloved educator whose career spanned more than four decades, and left an indelible mark on every school community she served. Known for her strong leadership, unwavering commitment to students, and deep passion for curriculum and instruction, Pam dedicated her life to the field of education, including teaching a young adult women’s Sunday School class at Clarksdale Baptist Church for many years.
She was named Beta Sigma Phi’s Outstanding Woman of the Year by the local Clarksdale, MS, Delta Eta Chapter in 1978 after being nominated by fellow members of the Clarksdale Junior Auxiliary.
Pam served Asheville City Schools for 15 years, where she was widely respected for her vision, integrity, and dedication to academic excellence. As principal of Asheville Middle School, she led the school to some of its strongest academic gains, inspiring both students and staff through her tireless work ethic and deep understanding of effective teaching and learning. Before joining Asheville City Schools, Pam was a teacher and assistant principal at Tuscola High School in Waynesville, North Carolina, for seven years.
Prior to relocating to North Carolina, she spent 21 years in Clarksdale, where she held roles as a teacher, assistant principal and principal. Her years in Mississippi helped shape the strong foundation of leadership and educational equity she became known for throughout her career.
Throughout her life and career she received numerous accolades including several principal of the year awards for Asheville City Schools, and she was particularly proud of the Lighthouse Award from the NC Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development recognizing creativity and innovation in instruction for Asheville Middle School in 2005.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Pam had a dry sense of humor, and was an avid reader who delighted in getting lost in novels. She found joy and peace in her garden and cultivated vibrant plants and flowers that reflected her love of beauty and nature. Pam relished sitting on her deck, enjoying her garden and birds, traveling and embracing opportunities to explore new places and cultures. As a Latin scholar, her first destination abroad was to Rome, a city she loved dearly, and she never encountered a tiramisu, a panna cotta or a glass of white wine that she did not appreciate.
Pam cherished her Christian faith and family deeply. She was devoted to her husband, Cary Hartwell Cocke III, who always made her laugh, and she loved spending time with her three daughters – Missy, Marne and Meg – as well as her stepdaughter, Adaire, and her many grandchildren. Her family was a constant source of pride and joy. Cary passed away the day after Pam and they were both well cared for in hospice at Solace CarePartners in Asheville.
Pam is survived by her brother Alvin Wood Stevens III (Sally), daughters Melissa “Missy” Meredith Owen (David), Marne A. Meredith (Andy), Mary Grayce “Meg” Powell (Davis), stepdaughter Adaire Cocke Plesnarski (Rob), grandchildren Jack and Meredith Owen, Jacob and Sadie Meredith-Andrews, Graham and Anna Powell, and Clara and Sykes Plesnarski; brothers-in-law John Cocke (Robin) and Charles Cocke (Betsy); former sister-in-law Judy Meredith Clouse; and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins as well as her loving and supportive friends, former colleagues, and students.
She was preceded in death by her parents Shula Farmer Stevens, and Alvin Wood Stevens Jr.
In lieu of flowers, if you wish to honor Pam Cocke, please consider making a donation to the Pam Cocke Scholarship link at the Asheville City Schools Foundation Website: www.acsf.org, or send a check to ACS FOUNDATION, P.O. BOX 3196, Asheville, NC, 28803, Attn: Pam Cocke Scholarship.
Education was Pam’s lifelong passion, and her legacy will continue to uplift students through the Pam Cocke College Scholarship established in her honor.
A celebration of Pam and Cary’s lives is being planned for later in the summer. Her ashes will be interred alongside Cary’s in Fluvanna County, Virginia, Cary’s original family home, in a private ceremony.
