Remembering PMH Atwater

All are welcome to honor and celebrate PMH Atwater. 

Saturday July 25, 2026

Visitation & viewing 11 AM

Memorial Service 12 noon

In Loving Memory of Dr. PMH Atwater, LHD
September 19, 1937 – July 10, 2026

Dr. PMH Atwater, LHD, passed away peacefully at her home in Virginia, surrounded by the enduring love of her devoted husband, Terry. She was 88 years old, transitioning gracefully into the very realms of light and expanded consciousness that she spent nearly five decades beautifully mapping for the rest of us.

Born Phyllis Marie DeKeyser on September 19, 1937, in Twin Falls, Idaho, As a young woman, she married John Bernard Huffman in 1956, with whom she raised three children: Kelly, Natalie, and Pauline. During those years, she was a dedicated secretary, a Sunday school teacher, and even a prize-winning cook at the Twin Falls County Fair.

It was a handwriting analysis in the mid-1960s that revealed to her her calling to write, leading PMH into public service where she served as a staff writer for the Idaho Department of Commerce and Development, a contributor to Sunset magazine, and a writer for Incredible Idaho. Her early analytical work earned her the distinction of "Most Influential Newspaper Columnist in the State of Idaho" from the Idaho Statesman, accompanied by an award from the Governor.

In 1977, severe health traumas fundamentally rewrote the trajectory of PMH's life. She died three separate times in the span of three months, experiencing profound near-death states. Driven by a need to understand what had happened to her, she sought out other survivors. What began as a personal quest for grounding evolved into a lifelong, world-renowned research mission into altered states, transpersonal psychology, and mysticism.

Using the investigative techniques learned from her own father’s police work, PMH went on to conduct sessions with nearly 4,000 adult and child near-death experiencers, authoring over 20 books in 12 languages in 27 published volumes.  Coming Back to Life,  Future Memory,  and We Live Forever laid the early groundwork for verified clinical and medical studies worldwide. She emerged as a leading expert on generational shifts and childhood NDEs through books like The New Children and Near-Death Experiences and The Forever Angels. Continuing her work through 2025 and achieving the May 2026 publication of her final book, Aliens and the Near-Death Experience.

Her influence on global consciousness studies earned her a Humanities Doctorate in 1992, two invitations to lecture at the United Nations, and several Lifetime Achievement Awards from organizations like the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) and the National Association of Transpersonal Hypnotherapists (NATH).

Despite her literally globe-trotting career, TV appearances on Larry King Live and Entertainment Tonight, and a massive network of readers, PMH's heart remained grounded in the quiet, historic valleys of Charlottesville, Virginia. Alongside her loving husband and soulmate, Terry, she found a peaceful haven, enjoyed gardening and attending the local Unity Church. All while serving as an online prayer chaplain, a personal counselor, and continuing to research, write, and speak on behalf of near-death experiencers world-wide.

In her most famous quote, PMH observed, “You are not your body. It is just something you wear for a while, because living in the earthplane is infinitely more meaningful and more involved if you are encased in its trappings and subject to its rules. The biggest surprise for most people in dying is to realize that dying does not end life.”

PMH has now put down her earthly trappings and flown on wings she always knew humans were born with. She leaves behind her devoted husband, Terry; her three children, Kelly, Natalie, and Pauline; beloved grandchildren; extended family; and a global family of fellow explorers who will carry her vital spark forward here on Earth.

A celebration of PMH’s incredible life and legacy will be held July 25th at 11 AM at Unity of Charlottesville in Charlottesville, in Charlottesville VA. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you honor her memory by putting her words into practice. Share your own experiences of wonder, extend compassion to those you love with everyone and share your stories to keep her lifetime mission alive.