Judith LaVonne Gilmer, 86, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, November 27, 2024.

Funeral services to celebrate Judy's life will be at 12pm on Saturday, December 14, 2024, at Hope United Methodist Church, 2233 Golf Rd., Eau Claire. Pastor Jen Barnet will officiate. Burial will immediately follow services in Rest Haven Cemetery in the town of Washington. Friends may join the visitation at the church beginning at 11:00 a.m.

On a farm seven miles North of Dassel, MN, on the bright fall morning of September 27, 1938, a baby girl was brought into the world. Her parents were Oliver and Bernice Floren and they named her Judith LaVonne Floren, but she is known as Judy. Judy grew up on the farm and at 5 years old she started 1st grade and progressed from elementary to junior and senior schooling where she graduated from Dassel high school and enjoyed participating in tennis and swimming and watching football, basketball, and baseball. At home in a leisure hour, you could find Judy playing the piano while singing, or playing the flute. Judy started piano lessons at an early age and her main activities in high school involved music. She became one of the pianists at her church and sang solos, in trios, and in a sextet at both school and church. Judy’s senior yearbook picture caption says “Her clouds are always silver lined” as she was noted for her perpetual positive attitude. At the end of Judy’s senior year, she was chosen as the Meeker County Dairy Princess in 1956, and she was also awarded the Citizenship Award when graduating from high school, which says a lot about her high character and integrity.  She then attended Bethel college (now Bethel University) to study music, design and art and she also took classes at the University of Minnesota. Home from college for Christmas vacation and at a friend’s party, Judy was reacquainted with Norman Gilmer, whom she had known for some years as she was in the same school class as Norman’s younger brother Roger. Judy agreed to go out with him later that same vacation which eventually led to their being wed on August 9, 1958. Before and after getting married, and before having children, Judy had worked at 3M Company and Honeywell Corp., which she enjoyed greatly. However, Judy and Norm soon started a family with daughter Carrie Elizabeth born in August 1959, and two years later, son David Christopher.  A third child was tragically stillborn and repercussions led to Judy being on life support for many days.  Not long after Judy’s recovery they adopted a baby girl and named her Leah Lavonn. In the summer of 1968, they moved to Eau Claire and bought a house across the street from Manz elementary school. Judy held down the fort as a full-time homemaker and mother of the family’s three children while Norman traveled the state selling textbooks to schools.  During this time Judy volunteered often to support many causes including: membership for seven years in the Eau Claire Service League, membership in the TTT society, taking in children from the Eau Claire Academy on weekends and holidays, leader for Campfire girls, serving as a den mother for Cub Scouts, and Eau Claire University Foreign exchange student hosting for Japanese student Miki Nakamoto for 4 years.  Judy loved entertaining and hosting dinner parties often for her many friends, and her favorite pastimes were playing bridge or golf with these friends. Once her children were older and independent, Judy launched her second career first working as administrator for the Eau Claire Downtown Business Association. Judy then went on to partner with a local commercial developer where she co-owned a successful hotel development company. Judy’s first big development project was the Embassy Suites Hotel in Green Bay.….she often lamented selling the football suite they had at Lambeau Field.  Later in her development career Judy started her own company, Development and Design Inc., where she continued various projects (and also attended University of Wisconsin Eau Claire for some continuing education) until retiring in the late 1990’s. After both Judy and Norm retired, they bought a winter home in Georgetown, Texas, near son David and family and were snowbirds for many years until travel became too difficult due to health reasons. Then she and Norm continued to enjoy the home Judy designed in 1978 which overlooks Eau Claire from the south on the bluffs by the St Bede’s site. They celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary this past August.

Judy is preceded in death by her parents, Oliver and Bernice Floren, and younger sister Rosalie Marie Floren.  Judy is survived by her husband Norman, her three children: Carrie (Phillip Richardson), David (Pamela Lastrilla), and Leah; her nine grandchildren: Joseph, Kate, Jordan, Maya, Wesley, Samuel, Nicole, Carly, and Austin; her three great grandchildren: Riley, Elsie, and Maddilynn; and her brother Kenneth Floren (Adele Rick). Doing activities with her beautiful grandchildren and great grandchildren brought Judy great joy in her life. She is also remembered by numerous relatives, lifelong friends, and many friends along the way in her life.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given in Judy's name to the Hope United Methodist Church of Eau Claire (hope-eauclaire.org), or Beacon House of Eau Claire (www.familypromisecv.org/donate), or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org)

Friends may offer condolences online www.hulkefamilyfh.com
Hulke Family Funeral Home, 3209 Rudolph Road, Eau Claire, is assisting the family with the arrangements.