Pamela Leland Swisher

Pamela Swisher, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, passed away on May 12, 2025, following a courageous battle with melanoma. She was 75. Born in Dayton, Ohio, Pam was the daughter of the late Helen and Gerald Leland. A graduate of Antioch College, she married her high school sweetheart, Trace Swisher, beginning a lifelong partnership rooted in love, resilience, and shared purpose. Together they raised two children, Andrew and Caroline, moving from Dayton to Toledo, then Cleveland, before settling in Casper, Wyoming, their home for almost thirty years. Pam was courageous, intelligent, disciplined, and deeply service-minded. She held an instrument-rated pilot’s license, a rare and remarkable achievement that reflected her adventurous spirit and precise skill. She volunteered at the YMCA as a young wife, teaching children with Down syndrome how to swim, she organized fundraising programs to provide college tuition for the children of fallen Desert Storm soldiers, and participated in multiple 5 Ks across the country, including running the Olympic Torch across the Hope Bridge in Cleveland, OH. All of this was to raise awareness and funds for causes close to her heart. Her determination and endurance, both physical and spiritual, inspired everyone who knew her. One of Pam’s most recent passions, following the death of her son, was founding “A103 Has The Watch Fund”, a memorial set up in Andy’s name to help bring a peer support program for Police officers exposed to critical incidents and trauma to the state of Wyoming. Recognizing the toll that PTSD and cumulative stress take on first responders, Pam wanted to create a space for peer-provided counseling and community-based care, offering officers a lifeline rooted in understanding and trust. The program reflects Pam’s deep compassion for those who serve and her unwavering belief in the power of peer support to heal invisible wounds. Pam’s deep and evolving spirituality was a wellspring of strength for both herself and others. Her almost 30 years of commitment to Alcoholics Anonymous nurtured a faith that was authentic, humble, and enduring. The relationships she built through AA became a sacred network of healing, and her spiritual life grew in quiet depth, grounded in service, humility, and grace. Pam was a pillar of the Casper AA community and the 12/24 Club, regularly sponsoring up to five women at a time. She walked beside hundreds of individuals on their journeys to recovery, offering presence without judgment and wisdom without ego. In her final days, Pam revealed to those closest to her the profound Art of Dying. She did not fear death due to her close relationship with Jesus.. She met it with honesty, presence, and peace. Her final chapter became a masterclass in how to let go with grace, to remain fully alive until the last breath, and to transform even dying into a final act of service. Her courage helped others face their own fears. Her clarity brought peace. And her love left a lasting light. Pam is survived by her loving husband, Trace Swisher; her brother Jeff Leland (Liza); her devoted daughter Caroline (Jerry) Mooren; her cherished granddaughters Leland (Colton) Smithey, Parker (Kade) Hillibush, Quinci, Drew, and Juli (Colby) Fowles; and her great-granddaughter Lilah Hillibush. She was preceded in death by her son, Andrew Swisher, her grandson Colten Mooren, and her parents, Helen and Gerald Leland.

 A Memorial Mass will be held at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Casper, WY at 10:30 AM on May 30. All who knew and loved Pam are welcome to attend and celebrate her life. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the 12-24 Club or A103 Has The Watch Fund, which is held at the Wyoming Community Foundation in honor of Pam’s enduring legacy of compassion, recovery, and care for both individuals and communities in need.

12-24 Club, 500 S. Wolcott, Casper, WY 82601 or 1224club.org

 “A-103 Has The Watch Fund”, Wyoming Community Foundation, 1472 N. 5th St. #201, Laramie, WY 82072, 307-721-8300 or donate online: www.WYCF.org  -indicate “donate to existing fund” and specify Andrew Swisher Fund.