Judy Ann Dawson

Judy Ann Dawson was born in Portland, OR on January 19th, 1946, to parents Gus and Mae Dell Grisby. To the loving union of Gus and Mae Dell, she was one of 5 children. Judy was just a baby when her family relocated from Oregon to Arizona, right before the Vanport flooding, and lived there from 1947 to 1949. Her family moved and resided in Mississippi and New Mexico for a short time before returning and settling in Tucson, AZ, where Judy was raised.

Judy attended Pueblo High School in Tucson, where she was a part of the drill team with her sister Gerneda. After graduating high school, she worked as a nursing assistant at TMC and St. Mary Hospital. She married Alvin Thompson in 1965 and from that union, she was blessed with 3 daughters, Stacy, Sharmalette, and Vanyale.

She and her children moved back to Portland in 1971, where she continued her work in the medical field. While working at Emmanuel Hospital, she met James Dawson, and they were later married. Judy also worked for Kaiser Permanente, where she met many coworkers who became very close friends. She enjoyed volunteering and participating in work activities and was always so happy when her children and grandchildren came to visit her at work. In 2009, after 35 years with Kaiser, Judy decided to call it quits and retire.

Judy loved spending time with her family, whether it was going roller skating, BBQs at the park or a trip to the beach on the Oregon Coast. It was always an adventure traveling with Judy because no matter where she went, she always seemed to get lost; that's how she and her family saw so many different places and sites and ate at so many different restaurants. Getting lost was Judy’s forte and that’s just how she rolled.

Judy was a Christian woman who loved attending church with her family, sharing scriptures with her grandchildren, and reading one her many, many Bibles. She was also a member of Maranatha Church for many years. Judy enjoyed cooking her infamous enchilada casserole, mac & cheese, and rice. She also enjoyed gambling, whether it be at the casino, bingo hall or the horse and dog races.

But if you truly knew Judy, you knew she absolutely loved listening to music and dancing. She was a dancing queen; when the beat dropped, she was the first to the dance floor and the last one to leave the dance floor. She was always teaching someone a new two-step and loved learning new dances from her family.

Judy Ann Dawson, a loving mother and friend, joined the Lord on January 24th, 2024. She is preceded in death by her parents Gus and Mae Dell Grisby, brother Gary Grisby and sister Gerneda Tucker.

Judy is survived by her siblings Dorothy Broom and Flenard Grisby I; Her 3 children, Stacy Thompson, Sharmalette Thompson, and Vanyale Thompson; 6 grandchildren, Elijah Lewis, Shaquante McCanlas, Angelique Williams, Joslynn Barber, Joshua Barber, and Vanisis Thompson, grandson-in-law Michael McCanlas and 4 precious great grandchildren Anaya, Ja'kai, Clayvon and Elijah Jr., and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends.