Gwendolyne Strope

1937 - 2025

Gwendolyne Aileen (Williams) Strope, 88, of Kennewick, WA, passed away Saturday, October 25, 2025, in Kennewick.

Gwen was born on January 30, 1937 in Yakima, WA to Virginia Ethel (Bailey) and Thomas Carrick, who died of pneumonia before she was born. Roy Williams was Tommy's best friend, and met Virginia at Tommy's funeral. They married in 1937 and raised Gwen with their four children together. Gwen spent her first nine years in Susanville, CA before returning to Yakima.

Gwen married Oscar Strope on November 3, 1955 in Ahtanum, WA. They moved throughout Washington and Idaho, finally settling in Kennewick in 1969. They were married for nearly seventy years and shared a love of spending time outdoors, watching old westerns, and doing word puzzles together.

Gwen adored her children, Timothy, Victoria Myler, David, Robert, and Virginia Couperus, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was their sweet champion, the soft heart of their lives.

Gwen worked for the Kennewick School District as a cook and server, or a "lunch lady," for many years. She enjoyed her coworkers and the teachers, but she especially loved getting to know the kids in line.

She read widely, and enjoyed crossword puzzles and trivia games. She was a fan of watching drama unfold, whether on the football field or on a soap opera. She loved being outdoors, from camping to 4-wheeling to boating on the river. She enjoyed collecting unusual rocks everywhere she went. She was the light of our life.

Gwen was preceded in death by her husband, Oscar, son, Rob, granddaughter Brittany, parents Roy and Virginia Williams, and siblings Janice Clifford and Connie Williams.