Judy Greear

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Judy Greear passed away peacefully Feb. 10, 2020, in her home with her best friend and companion of  35 years, Bill Bethune, at her side. She was born May 12, 1943, in Ryderwood, Wash., to Vernon and Marguerite (Peggy) Greear.

Judy married Thomas McKune Sept. 1, 1961, and together, they had a daughter, Deborah (Herren) McKune and a son, Thomas Jr. She lived her entire life in Lewis County, ever improving her job skills and responsibilities. Judy worked at Peerless Foods, Sherwood Forest Farms, The Daily Chronicle and then took a clerical position at Weyerhaeuser’s Chehalis Operation. A perfect place for a logger’s daughter to work. Skills learned there allowed Judy to take a legal secretary position with the law firm of Buzzard and Tripp. From there she work at the State of Washington (SOW) Personnel Appeals Board and closed her career with the SOW Environmental Hearings Board as the planning coordinator until her retirement after 22 years in April of 2008. Between all that work, Judy kept busy reading, doing several designing and remodeling projects (“Ah, the cabin at Rimrock Lake”), gardening (“Hand me the pruners”), playing competitive volleyball and a member of several championship teams, playing tennis (“Good lob”), camping, especially at Big Lake and the Metolius River (“Throw another log on the fire”), mountain climbing (five summits, including Mt. St. Helens), whitewater canoeing (nearly drowning going down the Cispus River just before the construction of the Cowlitz Falls Dam. Thanks, Bill), enjoying family celebrations and many road trips to places as far away as Prudhoe Bay, Alaska and Ensenada, Mexico. She was always up for a project or an adventure.

Judy is survived by her daughter, Debbie; and son, Tom Jr.; two brothers, Bill Greear of Ryderwood and Larry Greear of Ocasta; 11 grandchildren, Nichole, Tiffany, B.J., Kylie, Austin, Isabella, Malesa, Kaitlyn, Tavis, Trevor and Trinity; and 10 great-grandchildren, Xander, Harper, Savannah, Jorjah, Graysen, Kimber, Kyler, Marcus, Elias and Quince.

She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Jeanette this past October; and a granddaughter, Lukah.

There will be a celebration of her full life at 2 p.m., March 8, 2020, in Ryderwood at the community center.  Internment to be held at Little Falls Cemetery in Vader. To paraphrase her all time favorite, Elvis... "Thank you, Judy, thank you very much".