Judy Rae Simpson, 81

Judy Rae (Buchanan Blakeley Busse) Simpson was born Jan. 13, 1942, to James and Edith Buchanan of Spokane, Wash.

Judy’s parents divorced when she was a year old. At the age of 7, her mother married Stanly Blakeley who would raise her as his own. Every summer as a child she lived with her grandparents in Colfax, Wash., from age 7 to 14. She learned how to garden, can fruits and vegetables and cook. Her grandfather was very special to her as he would take her with him wherever he went.

The family moved to Uniontown and then to Pullman, where Judy graduated from high school in 1960. She attended Washington State University. She lived at the Alpha Chi Omega sorority while she got a degree in elementary education. She married Roy Busse in June 1963. They had two lovely daughters, Vicki and Kristin. They moved all over the United States with Ford Motor Company and finally settled in Liberty Lake, Wash. They divorced in 1983.

In 1987, Judy married Bob Simpson. They were married for 28 years. They went to Palm Desert and Hawaii every winter and traveled to Europe several times. Together, they were big WSU supporters and had season tickets to the football games. (Go Cougs!)

During her life, Judy worked at the Cordova movie theatre (her favorite job ever), was a secretary in the sociology department at WSU while attending college, taught second grade in Colorado Springs while Roy was stationed at Ft. Carson, worked for the Republican party and worked at Farmers and Merchants Bank in the Spokane Valley. She was a camp fire leader and room mother at her daughters’ schools.

Judy loved socializing, hosting dinner parties and luncheons with friends. Cocktail hour was her favorite time of day, due to the comradery. In recent years she played golf every Wednesday with three good friends, belonged to two bridge groups, had many friends and was always part of the fun.

She leaves behind her two loving daughters, Vicki Foege of Kent, Wash., and Kristin Teske of Seattle, Wash.; two sons-in-law, Tom Foege and Tony Teske; and grandchildren Logan Foege and her fiancé, Jordan Johnson, Luke Foege and Sam Teske.

The family requests remembrances be made in the form of a contribution to the Bob and Judy Simpson Football Scholarship at the WSU Foundation (P.O. Box 641925, Pullman, WA 99164) or donate online at http://bit.ly/simpson-fb.

Yates Funeral Home is entrusted with final arrangements. Please visit Judy’s online memorial and sign her guestbook at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.