Westmont Magazine Remembering Pam Tro

Pam McGauhey Tro ‘91, wife of Associate Chemistry Professor Nivaldo Tro ‘85, died Sept. 14, 1998, after a long fight with multiple sclerosis. She is survived by Niva and their two children, Michael, 6, and Ali, 4.

A memorial service, attended by many friends from the Westmont community, was held at Montecito Covenant Church.

Pam was diagnosed with MS nine years ago, and though her health remained fairly stable at first, it progressively worsened after Ali’s birth. 

Pam was a woman of deep personal faith and she cared about people. She had a warm and generous smile, and she loved to dance. She approached her battle with MS with a great deal of courage and grace. She rarely complained and was never bitter, but thanked God for the good things in her life.

Niva and Pam met at Westmont during the 1980s when they were both students. They were married, and Niva returned to teach at Westmont in 1990 after receiving his Ph.D. in chemistry from Stanford University. Pam finished her degree after they returned to Santa Barbara.

Niva has expertise in surface science and has at times addressed science and faith issues. Niva’s textbook, “Chemistry in Focus: A Molecular View of Our World,” was published in 1998. He has been teaching at Pepperdine University on leave of absence this academic year, and returns to Westmont in fall 1999.