Obituary of Judith L. Thysell

 

Judith L. Thysell

Judith L. Thysell, age 79, of Bloomington, formerly of Richfield, passed away peacefully on December 16, 2021, with family at her side.  She had struggled with multiple health issues the past several years and transitioned to hospice care in late August.  Judy will be greatly missed by her friends and family.

Judy was born October 6, 1942, to Alvin and Ella (Ehlers) Johnson.  She grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her siblings James, Carol, Joanne and Gary.  The family took many trips to visit relatives in Detroit Lakes and North and South Dakota, creating lifelong memories.  Her father passed away while Judy was in junior high.  Later in life, Ella was remarried to Edwin Olson. 

Judy attended Roosevelt High School and graduated in 1960.  She married Glenn Thysell on October 6, 1962.  They moved to Richfield in 1965, where they raised daughters Sheri and Kim.  After living in Richfield for almost 30 years, they moved south to Bloomington.

Prior to starting her family, Judy worked at Sperry Univac.  After staying home to raise her daughters, she re-entered the workforce and spent many years as a documentation specialist for Northwest Airlines. While at Northwest, Judy and the girls took mini vacations across the U.S.  Judy was an avid bowler and would attend the annual tournament in Tampa, FL.  The whole family took a shopping trip to Seoul, Korea.

Glenn and Judy enjoyed multiple trips to Alaska and driving to Florida with Judy’s siblings.  Judy was an avid sports fan and watched sporting events year-round.  She was particularly fond of Nascar, and very knowledgeable about the sport.  She attended the Daytona 500 in 1998.  Judy also enjoyed the Minnesota Twins, which was good to listen to as her eyesight waned.  She was always an amazing cook and hosted many holidays and other events.

Judy’s greatest joy was her family.  She was very involved in the lives of her daughters and her four grandchildren - Sarah, Laura, Lindsey and Tyler.  Judy watched her daughters play softball and tennis and subsequently attended her grandchildren’s sports and activities.  She cared for the grandkids when they weren’t in school or were sick.  Summers included the grandkids coming to swim in the backyard pool.

After moving to Bloomington, Judy and Glenn got a puppy.  Judy cherished her yellow lab Kelsey, who was always by her side.  She also spent many years as caregiver for several family members.  Judy survived a bout with myelodysplastic syndrome in 2014.  It was a miracle that she survived.

After Kelsey passed away in 2015, Judy moved to Kingsley Shores in Lakeville, MN, where her sister Joanne later joined her.  She enjoyed spending time chatting with others in the community and made many friends.  Special thanks to Deb, Aspen and the staff at Kingsley Shores who helped care for Judy over the last couple of years.  Judy was grateful and appreciative for the care she received, including Rebecca and her team from Avalon Hospice.

Judy was preceded in death by her husband Glenn, her parents Alvin and Ella Johnson, and brothers James and Gary Johnson. 

She is survived by her daughters Sheri (Jeff) Harford and Kim (Tim) Scharber, grandchildren, Sarah (Anton) Knack, Laura Harford, Lindsey Harford, and Tyler Scharber, great grandson Connor Knack, sisters Carol (Gary) Eikaas and Joanne Sable, and sisters-in-law Sandy and Gail Johnson.

Gathering of Family and Friends will be held on January 15, 2021, at 3:00 pm at the Scharber home – 12462 – 167^th St. W., Lakeville, MN  55044.

Judy made a huge impact on the lives of her family, and she will be dearly missed.