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Grace DeFoor Obituary
Grace was born on December 9, 1932 in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada. She was an excellent student and excelled at the piano. She met her husband, Alec DeFoor, at a wedding and they married on October 7, 1950. In 1960, the family moved from Alberta to Seattle. Grace traveled with all five kids on the train by herself - the oldest was 8 and the youngest was 18 months.
Grace graduated from the University of Washington at the age of 36 and was a kindergarten teacher in Seattle and then spent many years teaching in Cle Elum. She loved her job, her students and especially loved running into them as adults and seeing how well they did.
Following her retirement from teaching, Grace and Alec became snowbirds and spent their summers in Ellensburg and winters in Quartzsite, Arizona. Following Alec's death in 1994, Grace continued to snowbird to Arizona, eventually buying a winter home in Yuma. She also traveled extensively in the late 1990's to destinations including London, Paris, Rome, Singapore, Alaska and the Panama Canal.
Grace had many friends, was very sociable and also loved to sing and dance. Over the years, she was a member of the Moose, American Legion and the Eagles. She was very much loved and will be terribly missed by her family and friends.
Grace is survived by her five children - Joyce (Glenn) Babecki, Dale DeFoor, Lynn (Donald) Kneebone, Dan DeFoor and Lyle DeFoor, as well as seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and one great-great grandson.
Grace's funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, May 12, 2025 in the Evenson Memorial Chapel at Johnston & Williams in Ellensburg with burial to follow at the IOOF Cemetery.
Memorial contributions in Grace's honor are suggested to The Gretchen Weller Foundation.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Johnston & Williams of Ellensburg. Online condolences may be left at www.johnston-williams.com
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Grace DeFoor
Sponsored by Johnston & Williams Funeral Home & Crematory - Ellensburg.
1 Entry
Sue Amy
May 6, 2025
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family through this difficult time! Grace will be missed so much by all who knew her and loved her. She was mom to all of us and was a beautiful person inside and out. Love, Sue Amy and Rich Thompson
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