Judith Whitmer

Judith Whitmer, born to parents Richard John Gripp and Eloise V. Gripp on December 29, 1938, in Long Beach, California, has passed.

Judith spent her younger years alongside brothers John R. Gripp, and Richard L. Gripp JR. in Long Beach, CA, where she attended and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. Judith married her husband James Gastreich in Long Beach in 1958. They had three children together, Sheryl M. Gastreich, Randy J. Gastreich, and Kevin J. Gastreich. Later she would move to Huntington Beach, CA and again to Washington State where she would attend and graduate from Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA with a B.A. Degree. In 1977, she remarried to Ellery J Whitmer in Tustin, CA. and they were together for 28 years before divorcing. Ellery passed on December 6, 2005.

Judith was a hard worker, with jobs in in Orange County, CA, at the Sheriff's Office in 1980, Thurston County, WA Juvenile Court in 1981, Washington Court Administrator's Office in1986, Washington State Court of Appeals from 1986 – 2002, Pierce County, WA Superior Court from 2002 until retirement.

Outside of the workspace, Judith was a chairman of several book drives for "Veterans for DAR Chapter", spent time tracing back genealogy lineages, was a docent at the governor's mansion and most of all spending time with family and friends. She was also a big part of her local church where she would knit prayer shawls and play the handbells in the church choir. She was a part of the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church and National Association of Daughter of America through the Governor's Masion Foundation.

Judith is survived by her sons Kevin R. Gastreich (Lacey, WA), daughter Sheryl L. Gastreich (Lacey, WA) and brother Richard L> Gripp (Fort Myers, FL) along with 7 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her father Richard J. Gripp and mother Eloise V. Gripp, brother John R. Gripp and son Randy J. Gastreich.

Donations are asked to be sent to the National Fibromyalgia Association, 2121 South Towne Centre Place Suite 300 Anaheim, CA. 92806 or the National Autism Association, 1 Park AVE. Suite 1 Portsmouth, RI. 02871.