Obituary of Gladys Viola Van Parys

After a valiant fight against pancreatic and breast cancer, Sue Van Parys rested in the Lord and joined her Savior early in the hours of March 1, 2024. Born Gladys Viola Dingess but known to family and friends as “Sue” and “Susie” her entire life, she was born in Beckley, West Virginia on February 22, 1947. For many years she enjoyed the fact that, because she shared her birthday with George Washington, she always got her birthday off from school and work. In 1968 Congress changed the Holiday to “President’s Day” and moved it to a moving Monday in February and she has been complaining about it ever since. After growing up in West Virginia, she lived in several other locations including Natural Bridge VA, Sandstone MN as her family moved around following the career of her father, Leslie Dingess, in his work for the Federal Prison Service until they settled finally in Tacoma WA where she graduated from Lakes High School. After graduation, she married Dennis Van Parys who was then stationed at Fort Lewis. After giving birth to her son, Denes she began working in the Facilities Engineers Division at Fort Lewis, where she worked until retirement in 2013. Throughout her life, faith and family were very important to her. She was an avid reader of the Bible and was long a member of Bible Study Fellowship and various Garden Clubs. A lover of bowling, she was a record keeper and Team Captain for the USBC Mixed Bowling Leagues at both Joint Base Lewis McChord and in Olympia. She was active in the Quilting Services of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church while a member there and often volunteered as a docent at the First Lutheran Church of Elbe. Sue was the eldest of six children born to Leslie Dingess and Margaret “Marge” Brewer. She was predeceased by her parents, two siblings who died in infancy (Leslie Jr. and Margie) and brother Dan W. Dingess and sister Judith Ann Dingess. She is survived by her brother William Dingess (Linda), Dan’s wife Denise and their two sons Daniel S. and Matthew. Her son Denes Van Parys also now resides in Tacoma WA..