Pamela Stevenson, who after a lengthy career in show business as an actor and wardrobe supervisor became an accomplished craftsperson in northwest Connecticut with a specialty in restoring chairs, died on March 26 in Torrington, CT. She was 86.

Pam was born in Abilene, Kansas, the daughter of Raymond B. Gross and Helen Gross Coulson. She showed an early passion for acting, making her stage debut at age 10 in a theatrical adaption of the "Tom Sawyer." She later moved to Southern California, where she attended the Pasadena Playhouse and appeared, under the stage name Pamela Grey, in numerous productions there and other venues including the Glendale Center Theater, Town Hall Theater and the Penthouse Theater in Altadena.

She later moved to New York, and during her acting career, she worked with stars like William Shatner, Roger Moore, and Martin Sheen. She played several roles at Joseph Papp's Public Theater in New York and appeared on Broadway in "Indians" with Stacy Keach, as well as appearing in national tours and summer stock productions.

She went on to join the Theatrical Wardrobe Union in the 1970s, dressing productions in New York for the City Opera, the Metropolitan Opera and the City Ballet's production of "The Nutcracker." She did restoration work on the costume collection at the Metropolitan Museum and for five years was wardrobe supervisor on the iconic soap opera "The Guiding Light," in which she also had brief acting appearances.

In the 1990s, she and her husband, Richard Stevenson, relocated to northwest Connecticut, where she built a thriving business in Roxbury replacing and weaving chair seats, a skill that won her wide recognition in her craft.

Her husband passed away in 2018. She is survived by four stepchildren: Dick, Betsy, Anne, and Sarah, and six step-grandchildren.

A private service will be held on May 18, at Umpawaug Cemetery in Redding, Conn.

Munson Lovetere Funeral Home assisted with the arrangements. To leave an online condolence please visit www.munsonloveterefuneralhome.com