Pamela Zerr Ragusa

Pamela Zerr Ragusa, 70, entered the gates of heaven on July 19, 2021, after courageously battling cancer.

Pam was born on February 9, 1951, to Manuel “Manny” and Ruth Zerr, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, and was a graduate of LaGrange High School, Class of 1969. She brought great joy, love, and laughter into the world.

Pam, known to many as “Gabby”, was a fiercely devoted mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Pam never met a stranger and welcomed everyone with open arms. Likewise, she became Gabby and a second mom to many of her children’s and grandchildren’s friends. In her final months, her nurses even came to call her ‘Aunt Pam’ after she fed them her delicious cooking numerous times and always remembered to ask them about their lives and things they had shared with her. Indeed, she was special to all who crossed her path – and they were special to her.

For Pam, family always came first and was above all else. She gave her love incredibly selflessly as she moved from state to state to be with her grandchildren. Her final home base was in Austin, Texas, where she landed in 2006 and capped off a fulfilling career at St. David’s Medical Center as an Executive Administrator to the CEO. There, she left an outstanding legacy and was cared for deeply by many.

Giving to others also was a value she lived every day. Pam found great joy in sharing her incredible cooking and her time with her family and friends. Her greatest attribute was her gift of nurturing and caring for others. She also loved new adventures and traveling or, as she would call it, ‘making memories’.

She was president of her HOA for many years and a member of CASA as well as the Universal Angel Network.

To know Pam was to love and adore Pam. To be loved by Pam was to be well cared for and even more well fed.

She will forever be remembered for her faith, her loyalty, her generosity, her infectious laugh, her unique gift giving, and her innate ability to ‘make memories’ in everyday life. She leaves a beautiful legacy to her family and friends.

Pam was predeceased by both of her parents and her sister, Sandra Zerr. She is survived by her two children, Kristy LeBlanc Broussard (husband, Josh Broussard) and Peter A. Ragusa, MD, MPH; her grandchildren, Jordan Broussard (fiancé, Jason Becker), Libby Broussard, Shelby Broussard, Evangeline Ragusa, and Aspen Ragusa; as well as her great granddaughters, Penelope Ryan and Brinley Becker, and her sister and brother-in-law, Charlotte and Danny Nunez, her niece Monica Click (husband, Eric Click) and nephew Michael Nunez (wife, Bonnie Nunez).

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in her name to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

A celebration of life will be held at University Baptist Church in Lake Charles on Thursday, July 29^th, beginning at 1pm followed by a memorial service at 3pm.