GLENNVILLE, GA - There are heavy hearts across the industry today as the passing of Pam Durrence Dasher was announced. She was a prominent Glennville farmer, businesswoman, Vidalia® onion pioneer, and Co-Owner of G&R Farms alongside her brother-in-law Robert Dasher since 2003.

Dasher joined the business in 1962 after marrying her high school sweetheart, Gerald W. Dasher. After her husband unexpectedly passed away, she assumed co-ownership and management of G&R Farms.

Over the years, Dasher worked alongside her husband and his brother Robert to grow the farm and create a year-round global sweet onion business. For many years, she served as Office Manager but was often found grading onions or doing any other job that was needed as the operation grew due to her commitment to its success.

G&R Farms associates fondly remember Dasher for her attention to detail, pride in a job well done, and her ability to balance work and family. She was known for her true Southern grit and charm, along with confidence and gentle, calming presence.

“From the earliest of years, Pam was the backbone of the office, providing the structured support Gerald and Robert needed so they could focus on sales and production,” Blake Dasher, Chief Executive Officer, commented. “It was her unwavering support and quiet confidence that helped build the foundation that we continue to grow from today, and there’s no doubt she was a tiny giant among men.”

In addition to growing the farm, Dasher and her husband sought to cultivate a brand—not just that of G&R, but of the Sweet Onion itself. The Dashers were some of the first growers to market Sweet Onions directly to grocers, helping cement the popularity and success of the crop and their company. They also traveled together, sharing the benefits of this unique sweet onion, and helped to secure the passage of the Vidalia Onion Act by the Georgia General Assembly.

Dasher is preceded in death by her parents and husband, and other family members. She is survived by her children, the Honorable Paige Dasher Mulligan and husband Mike, Gerald Walter “Walt” Dasher II and wife Anita, along with many beloved grandchildren and family.

Funeral services will be Friday, July 28, 2023, at Glennville First Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Ogeechee Area Hospice at P.O. Box 531, Statesboro, Georgia 30459.

Our thoughts and hearts are with the Dasher family and all others who mourn the loss of this iconic woman.