Judie Ann Heller

Judie Hupfer Heller was born in Burlington, Washington, on March 12, 1939, to Clara Jean and Harold Hupfer. Her family included younger sisters Carole and Sally, who lived in Burlington and Linden before Harold moved them to South Seattle, where he operated a small grocery store.

As a young child, Judie remembered toddling up and down the aisles and sleeping in the back room of the store for her nap. In her early elementary years, she independently rode a city bus into Seattle for school, as there were no school buses.

Her parents then bought a home with ten acres in the Renton Highlands area, and Judie graduated from Issaquah High School in 1957. During these years, her father worked at Boeing, and her mother worked as an accounting assistant, so Judie helped run the household and care for her sisters.

After graduation, she worked in Seattle as a bankteller. She married Robert Hastings in 1958, shortly thereafter moved to Nice, France, where he was stationed with the military. While in France, she gave birth to Debra Kay, who perished shortly after her birth.

In 1960, they returned to the Renton area, where Judie gave birth to three daughters, Darinda (1960), Teresa (1961), and Colette (1963). Judie stayed at home, raising her children until her marriage ended in 1969.

In 1970, she met Jerry Heller through a family acquaintance. They were married the following year and moved to the West Hill of Auburn. Joining the family were Jerry's kids, Robin and Ron, and then in 1974, David joined after being adopted from Korea. The family enjoyed summer camping trips to Eastern Washington together. Jerry worked at Boeing until he retired, and during that time, Judie had a home daycare for a number of years. After Jerry's retirement, they enjoyed Western Dancing, which they did with Jerry’s brother, Tom, and his wife, Beryl. The two couples also spent the subsequent years traveling together in RVs throughout the United States and to Yuma, AZ, during the winters.

Following Jerry’s passing in 2018, David moved into her home to assist with caretaking. They enjoyed frequent road trips together, which usually involved ice cream. She loved family visits and holiday gatherings and was an expert at raising house plants, especially Christmas cacti. She often attended churches where her daughters played music. Family was very important to Judie, and she loved her time with everyone.

She passed on April 29, 2025, following a complicated recovery after a hip fracture. She is survived by her daughters, Darinda and Colette, her son David, and stepchildren Ron and Robin. She was a wonderful mother, and these children are her legacy.