Judy (Hamre) Tarnes

Judy was born in Nanaimo, BC on February 1st, 1951 to Phyllis and Nick Hamre. She took her role as the first born child and only sister to 4 younger brothers very seriously; however, it didn’t take long for her to realize that she needed a lot of patience, a quick wit, an endless sense of humor and a lot of love to take on a caregiving role for these 4 brothers while her parents were busy working. Mom loved to tell crazy stories about her experience of having 4 younger brothers, and those younger brothers loved to tell stories about tormenting their favorite older sister. The family resided in Qualicum Beach, BC at the Riverside Auto Court until 1957. Mom often talked about her childhood on the island, and was continuously drawn back to visit Qualicum Beach in her adulthood. She was extremely lucky to have an incredibly close, tight knit relationship with all of her siblings, but she had a special bond with her youngest brother Gerry, who was born with severe epilepsy and a brain injury. The family eventually moved to Moose Jaw, where Gerry resided at Valley View Centre. Mom was drawn to continue her caregiving duties in a more formal way, and spent many years initially volunteering and eventually working as a care aide at Valley View Centre so she could stay close to her brother. She cherished the years she got to spend working with her littlest brother, and he became the true source of her sincerely compassionate and empathetic nature.

Judy had her first child, a son named Cory, in 1972, but was unable to keep him. This was one of the most difficult decisions she ever had to make; however, she was thankfully reunited with him later in life. Shortly after Cory’s birth, she met Ron Boychuk at the Harwood Hotel Lounge in Moose Jaw (the rocking place to go in the 70s). They married just 3 months later and settled in Kindersley. They had two children, Nicole in 1977, and Danny in 1979. Mom continued to work as a care aide at the Kindersley Hospital in the 70s and 80s and eventually moved into a position at the Heritage Manor, a long term care home for seniors. She loved her work as a special care aide, and talked about the residents she worked with endlessly with the utmost affection. Judy was an extraordinary care aide, and she was also able to create a large community of friendships in her colleagues over the years she worked in health care. She loved to sing and dance, and was often found singing while working, and dancing for the residents. Her years working in Kindersley were some of the happiest years of her life.

In 1992, Judy moved on from her first marriage and threw herself into being a single parent before forming a relationship with Dennis Tarnes; they eventually married in 1996. Judy and Dennis had a decade full of great memories, travelling to their condo in Montana and taking many trips to visit family in Saskatchewan, BC and Alberta until Dennis’s death in 2006. Mom lived the rest of her years as a widow, maintaining that all she needed was her kids, her family and her grandkids to be happy. In 2011, mom made a conscious choice to fully retire in order to spend more time with her grandkids. Moving to Saskatoon to be close to Nicole and her kids, along with frequent trips to Calgary to spend time with Danny and his kids made her world complete. It was also in 2011 that she adopted her boston terrier/french bulldog puppy Emma, who became mom’s life partner right up until November of 2024. Judy was a fantastic mom, but she was an extraordinary grandma. Everything she was as a parent was exemplified as a grandma to her grandchildren - it was like her love just couldn’t be contained anymore and she found so much joy in unrestrained love for her grandchildren. Mom also took pride in being a loving and connected sister, sister-in-law, auntie and daughter. Her entire family was the touchstone of her existence. But she also filled the role of treasured friendship in so many lives, and she was a natural caregiver, a true nurturer in every realm of her life. She had her own brand of ‘Judy humor’; no pun was too ridiculous for her to get genuine enjoyment out of. Mom showed everyone she knew how to lead with their hearts and lean in when life gets challenging. She was a giant part of our hearts and souls in human form who lit up a room just by smiling. One of the best things about her is that she always loved out loud. She was full of humor, laughter, giant bear hugs and kisses….and she never missed an opportunity to say “I love you”.

Mom was diagnosed with an aggressive form of dementia in October of 2020 and it took us all on a journey we never could have been prepared for. Despite her fear of knowing she would have to live indefinitely with this disease, she navigated each challenge with a dignity and grace that we are infinitely proud of. We’ve learned more about resilience in the past few years than we ever dreamed possible but she will live on in all of us by teaching us to stay steady and that love always wins.

Judy knew loss and navigated grief throughout her life with the utmost resilience and her faith in spirituality. She was predeceased by her dad, Nick Hamre, her husband Dennis Tarnes, her little brother Gerry Hamre, her beloved brother Ron Hamre, her sister-in-law Donna, her mother Phyllis Hamre, and her adored nephew CJ Hamre. Left behind to mourn her loss are her heartbroken children Nicole (Curt) Thiessen, Dan (Lydia) Boychuk, and Cory Lindskog; her beloved grandchildren Brendan, Tristan, Justin, Ty, Addisyn, Ruby, Amelia, William and Logan; and her brand new great-grandson Oakland. She also leaves her brother Joe, best friend and sister-in-law Joanie, brother Ted, sister-in-law Marleen, sister-in-law Debbie and her treasured nieces and nephews, many cousins and dear friends.

To know her is to love her, but to be loved by her is a gift that we will all treasure for the rest of our years. Please consider donating generously to the Saskatchewan Alzheimer’s Society in Judy’s memory.