Judy A. Hoge

Hoge, 87, passed away

on Sunday, October 9.

She was born Julianne

Wiseman on February 21,

1924 in Council Bluffs,

Iowa, the youngest of

six children of Clark

Wiseman and Florence

White Wiseman.

Judy grew up in Iowa,

graduating from Council

Bluffs’ Abraham Lincoln

High School in 1941. She

came to Washington State

in 1942 to work in the

Seattle shipyards just

after the start of World

War II. After a time, she

moved to Alaska, where

she spent the latter years

of the war as a cryptologist,

working to decode

enemy messages and to

keep American messages

secure. Very recently,

when asked to explain

exactly what that job

entailed, she responded

in all seriousness, albeit

with a certain twinkle

in her eye: “I can’t tell

you. It’s classified.” She

had made a promise, and

was never informed of a

release from her promise.

Shortly after the

war ended, Judy moved

to Germany as a State

Department employee.

There she met future

husband David Hoge of

Yakima in the basement

of the I.G. Farben building

in Frankfurt (Judy:

“I’m tired.” Response:

“I’m Dave”), where they

both had offices in the

headquarters of the U.S.

post-war occupation.

After a year-plus and

many fun travels, they

returned to the U.S. and

were married in Tacoma

in February 1948 while

Dave completed his Army

service at Fort Lewis.

Upon Dave’s discharge

in the fall, they moved

to Yakima and spent the

rest of their lives here.

Judy and Dave raised

four children. Judy was

always active in PTA,

starting with pre-school

(including co-founding

the Yakima Cooperative

Kindergarten, in the days

before state-funded K)

and on through Roosevelt,

Franklin, and

Davis. She returned to

paid work once her children

were all in school

-- first at the YMCA, and

then for many years at

the local office of the U.S.

Social Security Administration,

where she added

several lasting friendships

to the numerous

ones she had made with

other young parents in

town.

Judy was a 61-year

member of the First

Presbyterian Church

of Yakima, served as a

deacon, and attended

until impaired mobility

caused by arthritis

restricted her movements.

In the typical

fashion of her “greatest

generation,” she was

always understated about

her service to others.

But while she remained

able, she was constantly

assisting others in need

-- usually one-on-one,

and without mentioning

it to anybody except the

person being helped. Her

approach was to live out

her faith more than to

talk about it.

Judy was funny, intelligent,

and optimistic.

Over the years, she accumulated

many humorous

stories, songs, and

twists of phrase, and she

was quick to share them,

every chance she got, with

infectious enthusiasm

and laughter. The last

15 years of her life were

spent in considerable discomfort,

but she always

maintained her good

humor and minimized

her ailments, consistent

with the uncomplaining

approach to life that she

had consistently advocated

(“The world does

not want to know your

problems”). She amazed

her caregivers and family

with her resilience. She

was fortunate to retain

her sharp mind and keen

memory to the end. At

a point well past where

many may have given

up, she firmly declared

“I love my life,” and she

remained fully engaged

in the affairs of family,

Yakima, and the world.

She delighted in being

able to search online

for answers to the many

questions she always had.

Judy was loving and

connected to her friends

and family. Coming from

a large family, and with

relatives and friends

increasingly scattered

across the country, she

maintained close touch

with dozens over decades.

She particularly enjoyed

the periodic large

Wiseman family reunions.

As with her service to

others, she taught “family

values” more through

example than through

preaching. In countless

ways, large and small

-- tutoring, modest gifts

of needed money, enthusiastic

support of efforts

and accomplishments

-- she gave of herself as

she raised her family

and pushed them gently

into the wider world.

Her descendants know

her lasting love, and will

sustain and share it.

Judy’s parents and five

siblings preceded her in

death, as did husband

David in 1998, shortly

after he and Judy celebrated

their 50th wedding

anniversary. Judy is

survived by her four

children, their spouses,

and eight grandchildren:

Mike (spouse Valerie,

daughters Michelle and

Anna) of Seattle; Joan

McLain (spouse Ron, children

Aaron, Amy, Andrea

and Alex) of Fresno, Cal.;

Phil (spouse Ann, children

Andrew and Lisa)

of Yakima; and Mark

(spouse Kathy) of Seattle.

And by four great-grandchildren

(Jaden, Titus,

Noah and Aislynn), Amy’s

children.

The family especially

wishes to thank the many

wonderful people at the

Good Samaritan Health

Care Center who gave

so much of themselves

to make Judy’s last two

years friendly, stimulating,

and safe. There truly

are angels and saints

among us.

Services will be at

the First Presbyterian

Church, 9 S. 8th Ave., on

Monday, October 17 at

1:00 p.m., followed by a

social time at the church

and then a brief graveside

service at 3:30 p.m. at

Terrace Heights Memorial

Park. Viewing is at

Keith & Keith Funeral

Home, 902 W. Yakima

Ave., on Sunday October

16 from noon to 5:00 p.m.

and on Monday October

17 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Memories may be shared

online at www.keithandkeith.

com, Obituaries &

Services.

In lieu of flowers,

Judy’s family suggests

that any remembrances

be directed to the First

Presbyterian Church

of Yakima or to the

Union Gospel Mission of

Yakima.

Arrangements under the direction of Keith & Keith Funeral Home, Yakima, WA.