Pamela Isonette Rainford

July 26, 1955 - April 22, 2022

Her Story….. Doctor Pamela Isonette Rainford was endearingly known by her family and those closet to her simply as “Pam”. Pam was born in Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies on July 26, 1955 to Isabella James and Ralph Wright. She studied at the University of the West Indies where she decided to enter the nursing profession and pursue her passion for caring for others. Despite many challenges and hardships, she faced in Jamaica, Pam worked hard to obtain her degree in nursing and her licensure. In the summer of 1979, Pam met Michael Rainford, the first and only love of her life, while Michael was vacationing in Jamaica with his Dad, Gladstone. Although seemingly different personalities, the two found they had much in common and instantly fell in love and began making plans to begin a life together in the States. Mikey and Pam married on November 8, 1980 in Jamaica and shortly thereafter, in 1981, Michael returned to Jamaica to bring his bride home where they began their lives together in New York. Upon her arrival, Pam wasted no time in her pursuit of professional and academic excellence. Although she was already a licensed practical nurse in Jamaica, she was required to start all over to acquire her licenses and certificates here in this country. In 1981, Pam began working for Lutheran Medical Center as a clerk. By 1983, she was licensed as a licensed practical nurse and by 1984, she was licensed as a registered nurse and officially began her journey with Lutheran Medical Center as a full-fledged health professional. While at Lutheran, Pam held many positions over the course of over thirty (30) years of service. During her tenure at Lutheran, she was loved, admired and greatly respected by her medical colleagues as well as the less experienced nurses who she took under her wing and the patients for whom she cared. “Quality Care” was always at the forefront of Pam’s thinking and she strongly believed that the key to achieving it was quality, comprehensive and thorough education and training for health professionals. That was Pam’s passion. While working full time and raising her three children, along with Mikey, Pam still made time to keep her academic trajectory moving briskly forward. In June of 1997, Pam received her Bachelor of Science degree from York College. In May of 2000, Pam received her Master of Science Degree from Stony Brook University and in June of 2000, Pam was certified as a Nurse Practitioner in Women’s Health. Pam relocated with her family to Florida in 2012 and continued to work for Lutheran Medical Center back in Brooklyn for some time. Once she retired from Lutheran, Pam’s passion for ensuring quality in nursing care was put into further action when she became affiliated with Med-Life Institute, a nursing school in Kissimmee where she began as a nursing instructor for the LPN and RN programs and then additionally, became the program director and curriculum developer. Pam became an integral part of strengthening the curriculum, obtaining accreditation for the school, recruiting quality instructors and she worked tirelessly to improve the board passage rate for all nursing students. In 2016, Pam earned and received her Doctor of Education in Educational Administration from Dowling College, a goal she had longed to achieve and never gave up her dream of realizing. It took her time, but with the unwavering support of her husband and children, she never gave up. She wrote and re-wrote her thesis until she was 110% sure it was just perfect…. And it was. Feeling there was still more to be done, in 2020, the Star Institute of Nursing was born when Pam saw an opportunity to open her own nursing school where she could control the curriculum and instruction and ensure quality education. She was exceedingly happy and proud to have had the opportunity to share all of her years of experience with young nursing candidates and made sure they placed quality of care and “patients first” as their number one commitment, as she had done throughout her entire career. Pam also became actively involved in the Poinciana Seven Day Adventist Church community and enjoyed attending services and fellowshipping with her brothers and sisters. Pam loved Family. She enjoyed shopping, hosting special dinners, celebrating milestones and spending “family time” at “Paint and Sips”, “Escape Rooms” and amusement parks. She loved her devoted husband Mikey, his always cheerful personality and his hilarious sense of humor and good will; and Pam adored her children – Chanell, Brandon and Kurtis who have made her so proud of the adults they have become. Doctor Pamela Rainford, our Pam, Child of God, Wife, Mother, Sister, Cousin, Nurse Practitioner, Teacher….She will be greatly missed, always loved and never forgotten…. Her Legacy…. Pamela leaves her loved ones to cherish her memory and to carry on her legacy: Husband Michael Rainford; Children Chanell, Brandon and Kurtis Rainford; Sister Sharon (Daisy May) James, Brother in Law Clive Bloomfield, Brother Bertie Wright; Sister in Law Yolanda Rainford, Sister in Law Carmen (Yvonne) Reid, Brother in Law Delano Rainford; Ashley (Cleo) Grier, nieces, nephews, cousins Ann Marie Brown, Ronney Brown, devoted friends Heather Osborne, Beverly Reed, Sharon Black and Mary Brown, and a host of countless extended family, colleagues, students and friends on whom she has made an indelible impact.