Pamela Furness Engel

Pamela Furness Engel, who worked ten years for Johns Hopkins University, stayed home for ten years to raise her three children, then worked fifteen years as a biology teacher and teacher mentor in Anne Arundel County, died from pancreatic cancer May 16 at Baltimore Washington Medical Center. She was 58 and lived in Linthicum. Born in Baltimore, she grew up in Catonsville and Columbia. She was confirmed at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Catonsville and graduated from Atholton High School in 1971. While in high school and college she worked as a pinkie at Maryland General Hospital. In 1975 she earned her bachelor's degree in biology at Western Maryland College, now known as McDaniel College. In 1997 she earned a degree in education at the College of Notre Dame. In 2006 she received her master's degree in biology from Towson University. In 1976 she began her working career with Johns Hopkins University doing research on cholera in the infectious diseases labs at the Johns Hopkins Hospital Bayview Medical Center. After five years she moved to the Cancer Research Center at the Johns Hopkins Hospital on Jefferson Street. She co-authored several research papers while working there under Dr. Allan Hess and Dr. George Santos. In 1987 she became a full time mother and home maker raising her three children, Gregory, Timothy and Meredith. She became involved in several community activities. She served on the Linthicum Elementary School PTA, the Citizen's Advisory Committee and the Linthicum Ferndale Youth Athletic Association. She taught Sunday school and summer Bible study at St. John's Lutheran Church in Linthicum. In 1997 she began her teaching career at Glen Burnie High School. During her thirteen years at Glen Burnie HS she taught biology, became the Science Department Chairperson, and served as the advisor to the National Honor Society. She also was an assistant coach of the cross country teams. She was a well respected, hard-working teacher. On September 28,2008 the Baltimore Sun reported on her becoming one of the first biology teachers in the nation certified to teach genetics under a special program of the American Society of Human Genetics working with a research doctor from Johns Hopkins Hospital. In 2010 she became a Right Start Advisor in the Anne Arundel County Public Schools system. In that role she served as a mentor to new school teachers at South River High School and Middle School. By the outpouring of care and concern from the faculty there, it is clear she was well loved and respected at those schools, too. She loved science, biology in particular, and teaching. She enjoyed challenging her students at Glen Burnie High School to be the best that they could be. One of her prize students, Fagan Harris, attended Stanford University and is now a Rhodes Scholar in England. She enjoyed mentoring her fellow teachers. She may not have realized it at the time, but she was quite naturally practicing for her final job as a Right Start Adviser when, as the Glen Burnie High School Science Department Chairperson, she worked to assist her many fellow science teachers. She loved to read. She belonged to several book clubs. She enjoyed photography. She was especially proud of her children: Greg, a graduate of Oberlin College in Ohio; Tim, a graduate of LaSalle University in Philadelphia; and Meredith, a graduate ofSt. Mary's College of Maryland. She was a fan of baseball, especially her Baltimore Orioles. She is survived by her mother, Carolyn Lavern Furness of Catonsville, her husband of 35 years, Alan R. Engel, her three children, Gregory Engel and his wife, Abigail Haddad, of Washington, DC, Timothy Engel of Baltimore, and Meredith Engel of Linthicum. She is also survived by her sisters, Robyn Furness-Fallin of San Jose, California, and Carla Furness Grimes of Stevensville, and her brother, Russell Furness of Glen Burnie. A memorial service will be and held at a later date. Information will be made available on the website at www.caringbridge.org. At caringbridge.org visit the page for "pamengel." In lieu of flowers, she would have wanted contributions to be made to any worthy charity.