Camilla Woodbury

1943 — 2012

Our beloved mother and grandmother Camilla Woodbury of Friday Harbor Washington passed away on Jan. 25 after a short but brave battle with lung cancer.

She was born in Tecumseh Mich., to Lyle and Dorothy Grigg. She graduated from Tecumseh High School in 1961 and Eastern Michigan University in 1966.

Camilla was a strong and feisty woman, a true pioneer with a good heart. She was the only girl “paperboy” in Tecumseh and the only woman in her college calculus class.

She drove a truck and trailer, 86,000 pounds, for Borden Chemical Company, working 12 to 16 hour days, for 24 years. She performed this grueling job as a single mother, putting her two children through college.

When Borden closed she moved to Friday Harbor to be near her daughter’s family. In semi-retirement, she drove a dump truck for Island Concrete and Black Family Enterprises.

Since retiring, she could be found working at the San Juan Island Library, sitting on the Friends of the Library board and volunteering for several human rights organizations. She could also be found having lunch or puzzling at the senior center, competing at cards or scrabble at Criminal Coffee, beading at the library or potlucking with PFLAG.

One of her greatest joys was her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Every Saturday she could be found knitting on the sidelines of her grandsons’ baseball or soccer games.

She is survived by her children, Michelle Herko of Friday Harbor and Scott Woodbury of Portland, Ore., and her adopted daughter, Leslye O’Shaughnessy of Bellingham, Wash., as well as grandchildren Kai and Nick Herko, Jackson and Berkeley Woodbury, Marcus and Jeremiah Asher, and great grandchildren Wyatt and Kaleb Asher. She also leaves brothers Norm and Marvin Grigg, and sister Judy McConnell in Michigan.

She will be dearly missed by her family, and by her many friends and admirers.

A potluck memorial will be held at the Mullis Senior Center, Feb. 19, 2012 at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Friends of the Library in Camilla’s name.

— Family of Camilla Woodbury