As Pamela Mahonchak brings visitors inside Denver’s historic Molly Brown House, her voice wells with pride as speaks about one of Denver’s most famous women while she leads the tour.
Guests listen intently as she shares stories about the home, Brown’s history and interesting tidbits like her fight for women’s suffrage and her fateful trip on the Titanic. And listen they should, because Mahonchak may know the home better than anyone.
Mahonchak, 58, has been giving tours since age 13 — minus a small hiatus in her early adult life — and is the longest-tenured volunteer in the museum’s history. She was one of the first to give tours when the museum opened in the early 1970s at 1340 Pennsylvania St. in Capitol Hill.
“The museum was so desperate for guides that they would take anyone, even a 13-year-old,” Mahonchak said.
Historic Denver, an organization that formed originally to save the Molly Brown House, is The award is given to a woman who represents Margaret Brown’s commitment to the community.
Past winners of the award include civic activist Susan Barnes-Gelt and renowned dancer Cleo Parker Robinson.
“I think this is the first time Historic Denver is honoring a volunteer and felt Pam is best person to be honored that way,” said Andrea Malcomb, Molly Brown House Museum director. “Pam is hands down the most passionate volunteer we have.”
Mahonchak spends at least one day per week at the museum when she’s not flying for United Airlines, where she has been a pilot for the past 31 years. She lives in Centennial and typically gives three tours per week. If she has to skip a week, she’ll work two days the following week.
“This is my favorite place in the whole world. Every week, I’m here. And even when I’m on vacation, I miss it,” she said.
The biggest reason Mahonchak is passionate about the museum is her late mother, Eleanor, who passed away in when Mahonchak was 18. Eleanor was one of the advocates who helped save the house from demolition and was instrumental in raising money for the cause.
It was Eleanor who had Mahonchak volunteer and made her a time-period dress to wear while giving tours.
After her mother died, her father sold her childhood home and either sold or gave away most of her mother’s belongings. At that point, the Molly Brown House became one of the last tangible things Mahonchak had to associate with her mother.
“I ended up with this house as my one true memento. This is a thing I can touch that holds memories of her,” she said. “In all of our lives, something small or big can be the thing that brings our heart home. Thatap what this house is for me. This house is where my heart is because itap where my mother is for me.”
Mahonchak claims both Brown and her mother are the two women who helped the most in shaping who she is today and feels it her responsibility to give the best tours she can every day and share the passion that Brown had when she was alive.
That devotion is noticeable to all who are around her.
“She’s so passionate about our mission, and her mom was such a driving force behind saving the Molly Brown House Museum. This work helps her carry on that legacy,” Molly Brown House volunteer and event coordinator Kim Popetz said.
Mahonchak was in a van leaving an airport when she received the news that she would receive the Molly Brown award. She immediately burst into tears and said she couldn’t believe she would stand alongside such incredible women.
“I’m not worthy, but they decided I was,” she said. “And it is truly the greatest honor of my 58 years of life.”