Judy Faye Barker

Judy Faye Barker’s Life Story in her words.

I was born Aug 2,1940, (on my dad’s birthday). We lived in Coulee Dam but Mother came to the coast to be near her sister to have me. I couldn’t go home with Mother because my sister Ramona had measles or chicken pox at the same time. I stayed behind and my Aunt Sadie and Uncle Walt kept me till it was safe to go home. I slept in a dresser drawer (could that have something to do with my weird personality).

When I did go home to Coulee Dam, I met my two sisters, Ramona (10), and Gloria (11) and two brothers Larry (7) and Richard (1). We were a close family in a small town where you knew everyone and it was safe to play outside. I was a tomboy and loved to wear Richards clothes whenever I could.

We moved from tiny Coulee Dam to Spokane the summer of my going into 8th grade. I graduated from John Rogers High in 1958.

I married right out of high school and moved to Indiana. I had my two beautiful girls. Jeannie Lynn and Joanne Lee. After seven years the girls and I moved back to Bremerton. I soon met & married husband #2. From that union came my three sons. Kelly Blaine, Brian Richard, and Andrew Philip.

I have always felt that raising my kids was the best part of my life. They were and are so very different in their personalities. You love them each in their own way. Now that they are adults I look at them and am in awe at what wonderful responsible people they are. I am so very proud of you guys.

My kids have given me 9 grand kids (Kevin, Philip, Joshua, Gianna, Angela, Christina, Julia, Benjamin and Eleanor); and 3 great grands (Gia-Isabelle, Joseph and Phoenix). Being a mom was the best – until grands came along – you can’t beat being a Grama.

Besides being a homemaker I worked making wetsuits, cleaning houses, and running a café before becoming a school bus driver. That was the best job I ever had – and the best part of that job was the last 12 years when I worked with special needs kids. They grab your heart and don’t let go. When you meet special people, you become very humble and your problems become nonexistent.

It was while I was driving school bus that I met my two best friends ever, Judy & Chyrel. We have had many marvelous times together. Laughing at, and with each other, crying together and being a rock for each other when need be. I feel if you can have just one good friend in your life you are lucky…well I am blessed because I have these two… and that doesn’t count my family who have always been there for me, my 2 sisters, 2 brothers, & kids including my daughter from another mother, Donna; friends from high school, and Wanda & Mike Smith from Special Olympics and my family from the Elks. If I have left anyone out, please chalk it up to chemo brain.

I married Stan Barker when my boys were teenagers. He was the best husband ever. We shared the same goals, worked hard together and he was good to my kids. I lost him to diabetes after 10 years.

By this time my kids were out of the house so it was just me, my memories, and my job.
I met the Great Dane, Einar, in 2000. We were soul mates at first meeting. Outside of my kids and grands – he was the best thing that ever happened to me. We laughed at and with each other, worked and played hard together. I feel I gave Einar a family he never quite had before. He loved all of my family and I remember one time after we had been to meet our youngest granddaughter he said to me “I really never believed in angels before, but I held one this weekend”. So, you might say we completed each other. Einar made it possible for me to see things I never thought I would see. I kissed the blarney stone, tossed a coin in the Trevy fountain, ate Hagis, saw castles in Europe, and went sledding in the Alps.

This is Jeannie finishing. Anyone that knew mom knows that she had a heart of gold. When she heard that someone needed something she was the first one to respond with either a hand to hold, shoulder to cry on, a hot meal, trip to doctor, didn’t matter she was there.
She was one of the good ones. Mom, sister, Aunt, cousin, friend. She will be truly missed by all that new her.

We all Love you Mom, bigger than the whole wide world.

Mom’s Celebration of Life will be held 14 Jan 2017, at the Parkwood Community Clubhouse from 1-5pm. If you would like to bring a dish feel free.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in her honor to either Seattle Children’s, or Franciscan Hospice House.