Gretchen Helen Reed

Gretchen Helen (Edmonds) Reed, 66, passed away Wednesday, September 17, 2014, peacefully at home after a courageous and hard-fought battle with cancer. Gretchen leaves behind her husband of 45 years, John, of Edmonds, WA; daughter Rebecca (Lyndon) Linville and grandchildren Sydney, Isaac and Gunnar of Olympia, WA; and son Justin Reed of Lynnwood, WA. Also surviving her are brothers Kenneth (Barbara) Edmonds, Richard (Judy) Edmonds, David (David Finkle) Edmonds, Peter (Julie) Edmonds and sister Katharine (Jan Opalach) Edmonds as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins; Johns family in Texas; and countless friends. Gretchen was preceded in death by her parents, Aubrey and Helen Edmonds. There was nothing more important to Gretchen than her family - they meant everything to her. She enjoyed spending weekends with her daughter Rebeccas family in Olympia cooking, going for walks, and just enjoying the time they had together. She spent countless hours with Justin debating a wide variety of issues. Gretchen also loved to entertain! She made guests feel comfortable by asking them questions about themselves and she never forgot the details they shared. She loved to garden, and her beautiful yard reflected her skills in that area. Gretchen was the ultimate caregiver. She lived to take care of those she loved and also made a career of taking care of those less fortunate. Before cancer caught up with her in the last few months, Gretchen took such great care of herself, visiting the local health club and exercising daily by walking around the track at the Edmonds Civic Center - her pace didnt slow for years. Even through her cancer diagnosis, she did her best to keep up with her exercise. Unfortunately, her pace slowed in the last few months as chemotherapy and other treatments took their toll. Gretchen was born in Madison, MN, on March 6, 1948. She grew up in Grand Marais, MN, and Lewistown, MT. In 1959 her family moved to Bothell, WA, where her father was called to serve as pastor at Bothell First Lutheran Church. She graduated from Bothell High School in 1966 and enrolled at Pacific Lutheran University that fall. In 1968 she went on a blind date with 2 nd Lieutenant John Reed, a Texan who was stationed at Fort Lewis and, as they say, the rest is history. They married on February 28, 1969, shortly before John was sent to Vietnam. Gretchen graduated with a Bachelors degree in Sociology from PLU in 1970. After Gretchens graduation, she and John moved to Houston, Texas. Gretchen worked as a social worker for Baylor College of Medicine until December 1976 when their daughter, Rebecca, was born. In January 1977, they returned to Washington and settled in Edmonds. In 1979 they welcomed Justin into the world. From 1977 to 1985 she focused on her roles as mother and homemaker. Gretchen returned to school in the early 1980s, obtaining her paralegal certification in 1985. She worked for several sole practitioner attorneys for approximately 8 years. From 1993 to 2003 she managed the Teen Mom support program at Scriber Lake High School in Edmonds. Then, in 2005, after two years in the King County Court Appointed Special Advocate program, she joined Senior Services of King County as part of its Information and Assistance program, helping senior citizens find the help they needed in a variety of ways. Throughout her working life, Gretchen helped countless individuals to improve their quality of life. She always went above and beyond the basic requirements of her job description, and sincerely cared about those she worked for and with. She always listened carefully to what people had to say, giving them a loving ear and often a shoulder to cry on. She was loved by so many and she will be dearly missed. There will be a funeral service at 11 am on Saturday, October 11 th at Bothell First Lutheran Church, followed by a Celebration of Life lunch and fellowship in the church fellowship hall. The family requests that you consider a donation to the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation href=http://www.tnbcfoundation.org/ www.tnbcfoundation.org/ in Gretchens name or to a charity of your choice. Announcement: The family requests that you consider a donation to the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation href=http://www.tnbcfoundation.org www.tnbcfoundation.org in Gretchens name or to a charity of your choice.