Judy was born in Chanute, Kansas in 1939 and grew up on the Whitworth Dairy Farm, owned by her parents, Ira and Mary Whitworth. In addition to playing with her younger siblings, Jerry and Jeanette, Judy spent her youth in Girl Scouts, FFA, and other clubs. She later worked at her local drive-in theater and also as a car-hop... on skates! After high school, Judy connected her community, and the outside world, as one of the telephone operators in her little town.
In 1960, Judy was whisked away to Eastern Washington by her high school sweetheart, Charlie Russell, who was on holiday leave from the Airforce. They were later transferred to McCord Airforce Base, near Tacoma, Washington. From there, they evolved into a family, with the births of their daughter, Mindy, and after returning to Chanute, their son, Rick.
Judy and Charlie made it back to Washington in 1967 and fully embraced the Northwest lifestyle with daytrips, skiing, and camping. By day, Judy worked in the Sears catalog department and later as an office manager at Air Products. She also had a very creative side. Judy painted lovely seascapes and was talented at sewing clothing, costumes, and custom upholstery. She was also a skilled gardener and an expert in assembling very unique and clever gifts for her loved ones. Judy also bravely served as a Cub Scouts Den Mother and Girl Scout Leader.
Once you became a member of the family (honorary or otherwise) you were blessed to have Judy care about you. She wanted to make sure everyone was fed and content, and she was all about gathering and being together. Judy always sent the best card for every occasion and insisted on making cookies with her grandkids for every holiday. In addition, her handmade noodles were legendary.
After retirement, Judy and Charlie spent time traveling the countryside visiting the many friends they made through the years. They also enjoyed antiquing, going to classic car shows, and collecting American antique pottery and art. But by far, their retirement was most devoted to their four grandsons and 5 great-grand-kids. They were present for every ball game, every performance, every milestone, and encouraged every interest. Judy was everyone’s biggest cheerleader, and if there was a way to help with any pursuit, she did. Charlie passed away in 2020 shortly after the couple reached their 60th anniversary. They were able to see their grandsons go on to college and pursue their interests, and they were able to witness their great grand kids developing into kind and caring young people.
A service will be held at Tahoma National Veteran’s Cemetery in Kent, WA, to commemorate both Charlie and Judy on Thursday, March 16th at 3:00.
Remembrances can be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s (https://www.michaeljfox.org/), the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org), and Vine Maple Place (https://www.vinemapleplace.org/).
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