Judy Lynn (Bowen) Bare

Judith Lynn Bare, 80, of Idaho Falls, passed away April 19, 2023, at Life Care Center of Idaho Falls. She was under the care of her loving family.

Judy was born December 21, 1942, in Williamson, West Virginia, to Howard Anderson Bowen and Glendene Elaine Boothe Bowen. She attended Cabin Creek Mission Grade School, Chelyan Junior High, East Bank High School, and graduated from West Virginia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Teacher Education in 1965. At that same time, she married her high school sweetheart, Sam Meads, and they moved to Idaho to begin their teaching careers. In 1968, they had one son, Thane Meads. Judy and Sam later divorced.

Judy began teaching at Rockland High School and taught all business subjects, including Gregg Shorthand, and was very proud setting up a business classroom full of brand new red IBM Selectric Typewriters. She was later asked to be an elementary teacher at Arbon Valley Elementary School so she attended summer school and took night classes to acquire an elementary degree. She also taught 6th grade at Jefferson Elementary, Edahow Elementary, Chubbuck Elementary, and retired from her 35 years of teaching from Linden Park Elementary in Idaho Falls.

She met her true love, Walt Bare, and they were married June 14, 1990. They had so much fun together traveling, developing their place at Birch Creek, collecting antiques, cooking for family and friends, and wintering in Mesquite, Nevada. Judy really enjoyed sewing, making pieced and applique quilts, embroidery, reading, knitting, dabbling with watercolors, camping, and traveling.

Judy is survived by her loving husband, Walt Bare; son, Thane (Lisa) Meads of Spokane, WA; brother, Jim (Peggy) Bowen of Chandler, AZ; sister, Kay (Wayne) Stanley of Jonesborough, TN; step-sons, Brad Bare of Idaho Falls, Darin Bare of Salt Lake City, UT, and Joe Bare of Idaho Falls; seven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

Judy will be cremated and a private burial will be held at the West Jefferson Cemetery in Terreton, Idaho.