Obituary for Judy Ann Conaway
Judy Ann Conaway (French)
10/2/1950 - 5/19/2023
Judy Ann Conaway (French) was born on the 2nd day of October 1950 at Whidbey Naval hospital to Leroy and Norma French.
Judy peacefully left for her heavenly home on May 19th, 2023, surrounded by her loved ones.
Judy grew up in Anacortes Washington where she gained an abundance of cherished memories that she would later recount to her family.
The vast majority of these memories would tell of the time she spent with her Grandma, Blanche Melvin. You could feel the love and adoration that she held for her, the profound impact her grandmother’s love had in shaping the way that Judy would come to care for each member of her family, and for that matter every person she came to encounter.
At the age of 15 Judy crossed paths with a young man 2 years her senior. John Conaway was a bit of a wild one at the time but, after they locked eyes, there was no doubt about it: Judy was more than up to the task and so began the greatest love story. Judy and John would embark on a journey that would encompass the better part of 6 decades.
Judy’s greatest joy in life was babies. When it came down to deciding how many children to have, John said two and Judy said three, so naturally they came to a compromise and settled on five (his two plus her three). They would spend 20 years traveling up and down the west coast while John served in the Navy. No matter where they landed it was commonplace to see all the neighborhood kids congregate at the Conaway home, and Judy took great pleasure in having them all feel welcome. They spent 15 years in Everett before returning to Oak Harbor in 2004.
Over the years, as the kids and their friends who frequented the house got older, Judy started all over again with perhaps an even greater joy at having the grandkids and their friends come by to spend time while everyone laughed and made new and cherished memories.
Years of observation could lead one to the conclusion that my mother was on a mission to empower each person she met into truly believing they had an incredible greatness in them and that they were strong enough to conquer anything that happened to think it could get in their way. She always said things in a tone of voice that would make you think it was no big deal; you could move a mountain as easily as shooing a fly away. The love she bestowed and the power she encouraged others to yield is a legacy that has touched the lives of many and will forever be remembered by those lucky enough to have crossed her path.
Judy is preceded in death by her parents Norma and Leroy and her brother Ronnie. She is survived by her husband John; sons Steven (Gretel), Michael, Jeffrey (Tracy) and Kevin; daughter Sharla (Robbie); her grandchildren, Raven (Amy), Phoenix, Sarah (Frank), Caleb, Wyatt, Kassidy, Olivia and John and her great grandchildren Kumarei, Kaymoni, Kaiyah, and Kaleiah.
A Viewing was held May 24th from 4-6pm at Whidbey Memorial 746 NE Midway BLVD, Oak Harbor, WA. An informal gathering was be held at Rocky Point Lodge in Oak Harbor with light refreshments.
10/2/1950 - 5/19/2023
Judy Ann Conaway (French) was born on the 2nd day of October 1950 at Whidbey Naval hospital to Leroy and Norma French.
Judy peacefully left for her heavenly home on May 19th, 2023, surrounded by her loved ones.
Judy grew up in Anacortes Washington where she gained an abundance of cherished memories that she would later recount to her family.
The vast majority of these memories would tell of the time she spent with her Grandma, Blanche Melvin. You could feel the love and adoration that she held for her, the profound impact her grandmother’s love had in shaping the way that Judy would come to care for each member of her family, and for that matter every person she came to encounter.
At the age of 15 Judy crossed paths with a young man 2 years her senior. John Conaway was a bit of a wild one at the time but, after they locked eyes, there was no doubt about it: Judy was more than up to the task and so began the greatest love story. Judy and John would embark on a journey that would encompass the better part of 6 decades.
Judy’s greatest joy in life was babies. When it came down to deciding how many children to have, John said two and Judy said three, so naturally they came to a compromise and settled on five (his two plus her three). They would spend 20 years traveling up and down the west coast while John served in the Navy. No matter where they landed it was commonplace to see all the neighborhood kids congregate at the Conaway home, and Judy took great pleasure in having them all feel welcome. They spent 15 years in Everett before returning to Oak Harbor in 2004.
Over the years, as the kids and their friends who frequented the house got older, Judy started all over again with perhaps an even greater joy at having the grandkids and their friends come by to spend time while everyone laughed and made new and cherished memories.
Years of observation could lead one to the conclusion that my mother was on a mission to empower each person she met into truly believing they had an incredible greatness in them and that they were strong enough to conquer anything that happened to think it could get in their way. She always said things in a tone of voice that would make you think it was no big deal; you could move a mountain as easily as shooing a fly away. The love she bestowed and the power she encouraged others to yield is a legacy that has touched the lives of many and will forever be remembered by those lucky enough to have crossed her path.
Judy is preceded in death by her parents Norma and Leroy and her brother Ronnie. She is survived by her husband John; sons Steven (Gretel), Michael, Jeffrey (Tracy) and Kevin; daughter Sharla (Robbie); her grandchildren, Raven (Amy), Phoenix, Sarah (Frank), Caleb, Wyatt, Kassidy, Olivia and John and her great grandchildren Kumarei, Kaymoni, Kaiyah, and Kaleiah.
A Viewing was held May 24th from 4-6pm at Whidbey Memorial 746 NE Midway BLVD, Oak Harbor, WA. An informal gathering was be held at Rocky Point Lodge in Oak Harbor with light refreshments.