Judith S. Hennen (1943- 2023)
Courageous, fun loving, authentic, strong, brave, adventurous – all these attributes and more are associated with the life of Judith (Judy/Jude) Hennen who passed away on August 9, 2023 with family and close friends at her side. Jude was born in Carmel, CA to Richard Charles Sheretz, MD and Patricia Turner Cornell Sheretz on May 11, 1943. Her early years were spent in Palo Alto, CA and then she migrated to Berkeley, CA where she graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Decorative Arts.
At CAL she connected with her life long best friend, Karen Millar. It was traveling with Karen that Jude met Virgil C. Hennen, the love of her life. Jude and Virgil were married in Reno, NV on September 2, 1967. It was through Virgil that Jude’s adventures with boating grew from simply fun and recreational to a source of income through fishing. Their cruising travels included trips to Alaska, Queen Charlotte Sound area, and circumnavigation of Vancouver Island.
In l982 they made San Juan Island home. They lived on their “Virgil built” 45’ aluminum troller, St. Jude while their home was being built.
Jude and Virgil joined the San Juan Yacht Club in 1982 and were Charter Building Fund Members and active in Club events and leadership. Jude, an avid reader, became a member of the Women’s Study Club and later a member of two book clubs - the “older” and the “younger”. Her happy tap dancing feet brought cheers and applause to many a San Juan Community Theatre audience. Jude’s zest of life and her Irish sense of humor were evident in how she approached life’s ups and downs.
An extended family of friends has been a special part of Jude’s life - being with her through her twenty-plus years’ saga of brain tumor operations and recoveries.
Jude is survived by her older sister, Nancy Ann Everman; younger twin brother, John Turner Sheretz; niece, Megan Rios, nephew, Perrin Everman; and cousin, Clyde Turner. Also Jude has two step siblings: step brother, Bill Sheretz and step sister, Lisa Sheretz.
Jude wishes that all of her friends, family and any others who want to celebrate her life and toast her memory do so in the spirit of her Irish, French, German, Scotch and Welsh heritage; also to please consider a donation in her name to be given to one of the following:
Hospice of the Northwest Foundation
227 Freeway Drive Suite A
Mt. Vernon, WA 98273
End of Life Washington
1600-B SW Dash Point Road #1272
Federal Way, WA 98023
Charity of choice that would benefit lives of San Juan Islanders.
A celebration of Jude’s life will be held in the future - date to be determined.