Pamela Navey-Federal

Pamela Navey-Federal, age 69, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, July 20, 2026. Pam was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend, mentor, and dedicated servant to the community she called home. Her unexpected passing has left a profound loss in the hearts of her family, friends, colleagues, and the countless people whose lives she touched throughout her remarkable life.

Pam was a lifelong resident of Iredell County and dedicated more than 40 years of her life to serving others through her work in the criminal justice system and her countless volunteer efforts throughout the community.

After graduating from South Iredell High School, Pam earned a Fine Arts Associate Degree from Mitchell Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Human Services with a focus in criminal justice from Gardner-Webb University. She served as a magistrate and legal assistant in the District Attorney’s Office and spent 22 years working as a law enforcement officer in part-time, full-time, and reserve positions.

After becoming a Certified Criminal Justice Addictions Professional, Pam served as executive director of Appropriate Placement Options, which managed the Iredell County Day Reporting Center, Iredell County Resource Center, re-entry services, the Youth Incentive Program, and programs designed to teach survival and employability skills to youth and adults.

For more than a decade, Pam served as the Community Resource Coordinator and victim services practitioner and advocate for the Statesville Police Department. Even after her retirement in 2023, Pam returned to continue serving in the role she loved so deeply. She was the person people called when someone needed help, and she never stopped until she found an answer.

Whether she was helping a domestic violence survivor find safety, connecting someone experiencing homelessness with shelter and resources, advocating for those struggling with mental health or substance use, helping a family find housing, or simply sitting beside someone who needed to know that they were not alone, Pam believed that every person mattered.

Her service to Iredell County extended far beyond her professional career. She chaired the Domestic Violence Task Force of Iredell, the Local Re-entry Council, the Iredell Homeless Collaborative, and the Iredell Juvenile Crime Prevention Council. She served on the board of Foundation of Hope Ministries, was a member of the Drug-Alcohol Coalition of Iredell, assisted the Iredell Homicide Support Group for Survivors, and served in numerous other volunteer and leadership roles throughout the years. She also shared her knowledge and passion for service as an adjunct Basic Law Enforcement Training instructor at Mitchell Community College and a general instructor at Catawba Valley Community College along with teaching for CIT and Reboot for all First Responders.

Pam’s dedication to her community was recognized many times throughout her life. In 2026, she received the North Carolina Governor’s Volunteer Service Medallion Award, honoring individuals whose extraordinary volunteer service strengthens their communities. She was also a recipient of the Elks Distinguished Citizenship Award.

Yet, despite the countless accomplishments, awards, titles, and lives she impacted, Pam would have considered her family her greatest accomplishment.

Pam loved her family with her whole heart. They were her greatest joy, her greatest pride, and the most important part of her life. She was the glue that held her family together and a constant source of love, laughter, encouragement, and strength. She treasured the time she spent with those she loved and created a lifetime of memories that will be cherished forever.

Pam was a force of nature. She was relentless in her pursuit of helping others and had an extraordinary ability to make people feel seen, valued, and loved. Her knowledge, connections, compassion, and willingness to help were unmatched. She never met a stranger, never turned away from someone in need, and never hesitated to stand in the gap during life’s hardest moments.

At her retirement celebration in December 2023, Pam said, “As long as there’s breath in my body and I have a heart and a soul, I will be serving this community. This is home, and this is where I will stay.” She lived those words every day of her life.

Pam’s favorite saying was, “I’ll slow down when I’m gone.” She spent her life proving that she meant it. Even in retirement, she continued answering the phone, solving problems, advocating for others, and showing up wherever she was needed.

Those who knew Pam know that she would not want her loved ones to remain consumed by sadness. She would want them to keep living, keep smiling, keep loving, and keep serving others. She would want her life to inspire others to show compassion, to help those in need, and to remember that even the smallest act of kindness can make a difference.

Her legacy will not be measured by the titles she held or the awards she received, but by the countless lives she changed and the people who felt loved because she was there.

Pamela is survived by her beloved husband, Michael Federal; her son, Josh Bustle and his wife, Jennifer; her grandchildren, Kalynn Bustle and Rylan Bustle; her brother, Kenny Navey and his wife, Jennifer; and countless extended family members, friends, colleagues, and community members who loved her dearly.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Fred Daniel Navey Sr., Nettie “Rae” Bass Navey, her sister, Belva Michaels and her brother, Fred Daniel "Danny" Navey Jr.

Pam leaves behind a legacy of love, compassion, courage, and service that will continue through every life she touched. Her fingerprints are all over this community, and the work she began will live on through the people she inspired to care, to serve, and to love others well.

Though our hearts are broken by her unexpected passing, we find comfort in knowing that Pam lived a life of purpose. She gave freely of her time, her heart, and her love. She made her family proud, strengthened her community, and left the world a better place than she found it.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held Saturday, July 25, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Western Avenue Baptist Church 1206 Museum Road Statesville, NC.

The family will speak with friends following the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are requested to be made to: Foundation of Hope Ministries or to Grill 4 God Ministries.

We love you forever, Pam. Your work here is done.

“Well done, good and faithful servant” 

Arrangements for Pamela Navey are in the care of Troutman Funeral Home.