FIND AN OBITUARY
Service information is posted on our website only with approval from the family.
If you are seeking information not listed below, please contact us.
Julia ”Judy” M. Work
02/14/1917 — 02/24/2006
From Richland, WA, US | Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Julia ”Judy” M. Work
Sixty-three year resident of Richland, Julia M. ''Judy'' Work passed away peacefully last Friday afternoon at the Tri-City Hospice House. She celebrated her 89th birthday with family and friends in her apartment at Alterra on Valentines Day. Honoring her wish that no public service be held, the family met privately to remember her long and fruitful life. The family asks that in lieu of flowers those wishing to do so make donations in her memory to Tri-City Hospice or the Kadlec Medical Center Foundation.
She was born in New Mexico and lived in several locations in the Southwest, marrying Ray V. Work in 1934. Judy arrived in Richland in September, 1943, with her husband and two small children, ages six and two years old. With no permanent housing yet available the family lived for the first few weeks in a 16' plywood trailer at the Navy Air Training station at Big Pasco, then for another few months in a farm house on what would become the Hanford Reservation until a house was completed in the south end of Richland Village. She has been a Richland resident ever since. For more than two and a half decades Judy managed Shields Book and Stationary in the Uptown shopping center where, as she was fond of saying, ''I met and served nearly everyone in the area at one time or another''. She was a skilled artist and also very active in the Allied Arts organization.
In 1963 they purchased a new home in the north part of Richland which they lavishly landscaped. Following retirement from Kaiser Engineers, Ray managed a complex of apartment buildings that became the home for a whole new generation of young engineers and scientists moving to the area at that time. Many became ''extended family'' and remained close to ''Pappy'' and ''Grandma Judy'' for the rest of their lives. Summer dinner on their patio and kids playing in the lush yard were an eagerly anticipated treat. Ray passed away in 1990 and Judy continued to maintain the home and grounds and to entertain her own and extended family until 2000 when she moved into the Alterra retirement facility. There she was active in the life of the facility touching residence and staff alike with her humor, love and caring nature.
She was preceeded in death by husband Ray, daughter-in-law Terry Work and grandson Jonathan Work and survived by brother Daniel Mitchell of Las Cruses, New Mexico, sister Jane Smith of Safford, AZ, son Ray V. Work, Jr., of Friday Harbor, WA and Tucson, son Gerald Jerry Work and wife Sharon of Kerby, OR, grandchildren Lynn Dame of Phoenix, Steven Work of Bellingham, Ron Work of Santa Cruz, CA, Alan Work of Gilbert, AZ, Alex Work of Santa Cruz, CA and a host of her ''extended family'' members and their offspring now scattered throughout the country.
The smell of summer BBQ mixed with the laughter of countless children running up the back yard stairs that ''Pappy'' built to roll down ''Grandma Judy's'' hill will live with us all forever.
Dear Ray & Gerry,
Just wanted to offer my sympathy to you for your Mother’s passing. She was a great lady, a wonderful, most gracious business woman. I just remember the times I spent in your home many yrs. ago and the good times we had with both of your folks. My parents have been gone many yrs. now and a day doesn’t go by without thinking and loving them. After Mom died I felt like I was an orphan even though she was 86 yrs. old and I was a grown woman. Hang in there. Best wishes to both of you and your families. Judy Nield Zachary
I have many wonderful memories of Grandma Judy. Though she wasn’t a real grandma to my sister and I and the rest of our Richland “family” by blood, she was a real grandma in the sense of what a grandmother is to the grandchildren she loves. She and Pap were wonderful “adopted” grandparents. We were lucky to live next door for a short time where I’ve heard the story a million times about how I ran out in the cold, in only my diaper, and knocked on their door. Of course they took me in before returning me to my babysitter – dad, who must have had his hands full with my sister. I’ll never forget how she loved to make strawberrty shortcake for a big group of our “family” in town when the Klickerberries were in season. The adults visited on the patio while the kids got to play in their wonderful backyard. I have a lot of good memories that I’ll cherish forever. I’ll miss her dearly. She was a special lady and I’m lucky to have been able to call her grandma.
Love,
Lisa Harness Mesias
On September 1, 1968, we Sue and Phil Harness moved into the Kathy Ann Apartments in Richland and met Ray Work, the manager. In 1969, we met Judy when Phil asked Judy to paint us a picture of Alaska from a favorite photograph that he had. Judy painted a gorgeous large picture that hung in our living room for 28 years! In 1972 we searched the Tri-Cities to find our first home and purchased one at 1920 Hoxie, right next door to Ray and Judy. In October of that year, Ray had a medical problem and was in the hospital and their grandson Jonathan Work was born. Shortly after that, on November 7th, our Lisa was born and soon Judy and Ray became Grandma Judy and Pap to us. Baby Lisa was invited to Gma Judy and Paps home a lot. For New Year’s Eve in 1973, an invitation was sent only to Lisa for a 6:00 pm to midnight, BYOB and BYOD bring your own bottle and bring your own diaper party. Gma Judy even made Lisa a New Years hat and banner. In 1974, Lisa ran away often to Gma and Pap’s. She would see Pap working and say Doing Pap? Doing Pap? Doing Pap? We loved having dinner at their house…Paps lasagna, Judys dilley bread, tossed salad, and chocolate chip cookies or lemon cake.
Our Kristi was born August 6th, 1974. In October we moved to our next home at 1748 Bismark. We had a big kitchen and a beautiful big formal dining room. We celebrated all the family birthdays and holidays at our house. Gma Judy and Pap were always invited and would sit in their seats. Gma Judy always wanted to help in the kitchen before and after dinner! For Easter, Ray and Judy would bring over Easter baskets for Lisa and Kristi, ring the doorbell, and run away. Judy and Phil always had contests on who would have the first ripe tomato each year. Every summer wed all have freshly picked peaches and cream on our patio at our home, and at their home on the patio wed have Strawberry Shortcake with Klickerberries from Walla Walla with homemade biscuits and homemade whipped cream. Lisa and Kristi loved rolling down the hill in their backyard.
Each year Gma Judy and Pap gave Lisa and Kristi a photo album from Shields with their name on it for their birthdays. They are all full with wonderful memories and each of the girls now have their albums. And so as the years evolved we remained very close with them, and they were our Gma Judy and Pap because we loved them so much!
Dear Ray & Gerry,
Just wanted to offer my sympathy to you for your Mother’s passing. She was a great lady, a wonderful, most gracious business woman. I just remember the times I spent in your home many yrs. ago and the good times we had with both of your folks. My parents have been gone many yrs. now and a day doesn’t go by without thinking and loving them. After Mom died I felt like I was an orphan even though she was 86 yrs. old and I was a grown woman. Hang in there. Best wishes to both of you and your families. Judy Nield Zachary
I have many wonderful memories of Grandma Judy. Though she wasn’t a real grandma to my sister and I and the rest of our Richland “family” by blood, she was a real grandma in the sense of what a grandmother is to the grandchildren she loves. She and Pap were wonderful “adopted” grandparents. We were lucky to live next door for a short time where I’ve heard the story a million times about how I ran out in the cold, in only my diaper, and knocked on their door. Of course they took me in before returning me to my babysitter – dad, who must have had his hands full with my sister. I’ll never forget how she loved to make strawberrty shortcake for a big group of our “family” in town when the Klickerberries were in season. The adults visited on the patio while the kids got to play in their wonderful backyard. I have a lot of good memories that I’ll cherish forever. I’ll miss her dearly. She was a special lady and I’m lucky to have been able to call her grandma.
Love,
Lisa Harness Mesias
On September 1, 1968, we Sue and Phil Harness moved into the Kathy Ann Apartments in Richland and met Ray Work, the manager. In 1969, we met Judy when Phil asked Judy to paint us a picture of Alaska from a favorite photograph that he had. Judy painted a gorgeous large picture that hung in our living room for 28 years! In 1972 we searched the Tri-Cities to find our first home and purchased one at 1920 Hoxie, right next door to Ray and Judy. In October of that year, Ray had a medical problem and was in the hospital and their grandson Jonathan Work was born. Shortly after that, on November 7th, our Lisa was born and soon Judy and Ray became Grandma Judy and Pap to us. Baby Lisa was invited to Gma Judy and Paps home a lot. For New Year’s Eve in 1973, an invitation was sent only to Lisa for a 6:00 pm to midnight, BYOB and BYOD bring your own bottle and bring your own diaper party. Gma Judy even made Lisa a New Years hat and banner. In 1974, Lisa ran away often to Gma and Pap’s. She would see Pap working and say Doing Pap? Doing Pap? Doing Pap? We loved having dinner at their house…Paps lasagna, Judys dilley bread, tossed salad, and chocolate chip cookies or lemon cake.
Our Kristi was born August 6th, 1974. In October we moved to our next home at 1748 Bismark. We had a big kitchen and a beautiful big formal dining room. We celebrated all the family birthdays and holidays at our house. Gma Judy and Pap were always invited and would sit in their seats. Gma Judy always wanted to help in the kitchen before and after dinner! For Easter, Ray and Judy would bring over Easter baskets for Lisa and Kristi, ring the doorbell, and run away. Judy and Phil always had contests on who would have the first ripe tomato each year. Every summer wed all have freshly picked peaches and cream on our patio at our home, and at their home on the patio wed have Strawberry Shortcake with Klickerberries from Walla Walla with homemade biscuits and homemade whipped cream. Lisa and Kristi loved rolling down the hill in their backyard.
Each year Gma Judy and Pap gave Lisa and Kristi a photo album from Shields with their name on it for their birthdays. They are all full with wonderful memories and each of the girls now have their albums. And so as the years evolved we remained very close with them, and they were our Gma Judy and Pap because we loved them so much!
Ray and Gerald. I read of your Mom’s passing in the TCH today. Please accept my heartfelt condolences. I know how it is. I lost my brother Pook last Oct, 9th and our parents a few years ago. It’s been a long time guys If you can e-mail me. Hal
Judy has been a big part of my life since 1975, when she hired me at Shield’s. It was instant friendship, I deeply admired her intelligence, her caracter, her dignity and most of all her great sense of humor which she kept till the end. She enjoyed the jokes that I used to send her via e-mail.
I will miss her terribly.
My deepest condolences to the family
Gianna Maffeo
“Aunt Tootsie” will always be remembered as a loving, wonderful aunt who made me feel very special even though now I know she made the rest of her many neices and nephews feel the very same. While growing up I wrote to her a lot and she answered with the most interesting letters from a very far off place, Richland, Washington!!! And I will never forget the visits from Ray and Tootsie and the boys. I don’t remember where they stayed, just remember playing with Ray, Jr. and Gerald. Pictures are very precious to me of these visits.
Rest in peace, Aunt Tootsie, I love you, Irene
Guestbook for
Julia ”Judy” M. Work