June 14, 1943- January 22, 2021

Gertrude (Trudy) Lee Newkirk (nee Ellis) passed away January 22, 2021 at the age of 77. She was born in Tacoma, WA to Margaret Adelaide Ellis (nee Carrier) and Emrys Daniels (Ed) Ellis on June 14, 1943. She is survived by her brother, Arthur Ellis, two sisters, Marie Kreman and Irene McNelly, her two children, Nicole Stone and Jeremy Newkirk, and her four grandchildren. The Ellis family moved to Rainier, OR when Trudy was a young child. Growing up, she would stay with her family in Rainier during the school year and spend the summers and school breaks in Tacoma with Rowena (Nanny), Ulysses Grant (Grandpa), Fred and Omer Stark. The Stark family treated her as their own and became her other family. She developed a very special bond with Omer who became a father figure to her.

She was married to Thurston Gene Newkirk in 1974 with whom she raised her two children. The Newkirk family moved regularly, living in Rainier, OR, Seaside, OR and multiple locations in the Seattle area.

In 1990 she graduated from the University of Washington at the age of 47 with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. She completed the CPA Exam shortly after graduating, and was very proud to have passed all four sections on her first attempt. Later that year, she moved to Spokane where she raised her two children as a single mother. Trudy was a devoted mother who worked very hard to care for her children, at times working multiple jobs to keep food on the table. In 1999 she established her own CPA firm. She truly enjoyed her work and often joked that she felt like a therapist because her clients loved to share their personal lives with her. In 2009, she became a certified Forensic CPA, which she began to offer as a service she performed through her firm.

Her greatest passions were learning about historical figures (Abraham Lincoln had a special place in her heart) and reading (particularly Russian authors such as Dostoevsky). She had great love for all animals, especially cats.

She was a strong woman who lived an unusual and difficult life. She was brilliant, brave, strong-willed and loving, but above all she was ethical. She always chose to do the right thing, even if it made her life more difficult. She will be greatly missed and those that loved her will always treasure the memories of the good times shared.