Grace A. DeFoor

Grace Alberta (Patton) DeFoor, 92, longtime resident of Ellensburg, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Friday, May 2, 2025 at the Mountain View Nursing Home after a battle with cancer and challenges from a stroke in September of 2024.

Grace was born on December 9, 1932 in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada. She was an excellent student and excelled at the piano. She met her husband, Alec DeFoor, at a wedding and they married on October 7, 1950. In 1960, the family moved from Alberta to Seattle. Grace traveled with all five kids on the train by herself – the oldest was 8 and the youngest was 18 months.

Grace graduated from the University of Washington at the age of 36 and was a kindergarten teacher in Seattle and then spent many years teaching in Cle Elum. She loved her job, her students and especially loved running into them as adults and seeing how well they did.

Following her retirement from teaching, Grace and Alec became snowbirds and spent their summers in Ellensburg and winters in Quartzsite, Arizona. Following Alec’s death in 1994, Grace continued to snowbird to Arizona, eventually buying a winter home in Yuma. She also traveled extensively in the late 1990’s to destinations including London, Paris, Rome, Singapore, Alaska and the Panama Canal.

Grace had many friends, was very sociable and also loved to sing and dance. Over the years, she was a member of the Moose, American Legion and the Eagles. She was very much loved and will be terribly missed by her family and friends.

Grace is survived by her five children - Joyce (Glenn) Babecki, Dale DeFoor, Lynn (Donald) Kneebone, Dan DeFoor and Lyle DeFoor, as well as seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and one great-great grandson.

Grace’s funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, May 12, 2025 in the Evenson Memorial Chapel at Johnston & Williams in Ellensburg with burial to follow at the IOOF Cemetery.

Memorial contributions in Grace’s honor are suggested to The Gretchen Weller Foundation.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Johnston & Williams of Ellensburg. Online condolences may be left at www.johnston-williams.com