Judith I DeBoer

Judith DeBoer, 95, of Olympia, died on August 26, 2014 after a courageous battle with dementia. She was born in Tacoma, WA on June 16, 1919, to Andrew and Gina Rand. She moved to Olympia at a very young age and graduated from Olympia High School in 1937. On December 30, 1939, she married Ray DeBoer. After raising three children, Mom went to work in the banking industry, spending many years at Olympia Federal. In the mid- sixties, they moved to Aberdeen where they started a new career in the restaurant business, first with Smitty's Pancake House and then operating two KFC franchise restaurants. Ray and Judie retired to Hoodsport in 1989. They moved back to Olympia in 2000. Ray died in 2002.

Mom's pies were second to none, and she loved to garden. She was rarely at rest but was always baking or working in her prodigious flower beds or cultivating beautiful house plants.

Judie is survived by her three children: Carolyn Caruso (Frank) of Tumwater, Barbara VanSlyke (Del) of Lacey, and Rodney DeBoer (Mary) of Aberdeen; five grandchildren: Tracy Evans, Jennifer Meyer, Brett VanSlyke, Allison Criswell and Jake DeBoer; and four great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church on Thursday, September 18, 2014 at 1:00 p.m.

Our family is grateful for loving care she received at The Hampton Alzheimer Special Care Center in Tumwater. Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association of Western and Central Washington, 100 West Harrison Street, N200, Seattle, WA 98119, or to a charity of your choice.

Arrangements under the direction of Mills & Mills Funeral Home and Memorial Park, Tumwater, WA.