Melinda Grace Wagner Obituary (1943 - 2022)

Melinda Grace Wilson has lived in the greater Gig Harbor area for 30 years and was 78 when she passed away on January 21, 2022. Melinda Grace Wilson was born at 11:10 a.m. on January 25th, 1943, in a 2-story home in St. George, Utah. Melinda's father, Edwin, was a graduate of the School of Mines in Rapid City, South Dakota. With that training he worked for the state of Montana. Melinda's Mother, Dorothy, had a teaching degree and taught elementary school. Melinda was also blessed with a younger, by five years, sister Janie. The Wilson family built a home in Billings, Montana. They lived there while their daughters completed their education. Melinda was active in drama productions and summer stock at the Pioneer Playhouse in Billings, Montana, during high school. When she attended the University of Montana, Melinda pledged Delta Gamma Sorority and trained to become a K-12 teacher training at Eastern Montana College of Education in Billings and then taught for 34 years: 11 years at Lincoln High School, 15 years at Stadium High School, and 8 years at Sheridan Elementary, all in Tacoma, Washington. Melinda was married to Dennis McIntear from 1967 to 1978. Her second marriage to Larry Knudsen ended when he died of cancer in 1997. In 2001 Melinda married Tom in the backyard of his Gig Harbor waterfront home. Tom and Melinda were very happy to be married. They traveled a lot in the early years of their marriage to Hawaii. They had marvelous dogs named Ewald, Mossie 1, Moosie 2, and Moosie 3. Melinda was a member of Delta Gamma after-college social sorority, Comfort Quilters and Cornerstone at Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church and Hearing Loss Association. She will be missed greatly by all her friends who loved and adored her kind heart and quick sense of odd humor. A celebration of Melinda's life will be held at Haven of Rest, Gig Harbor, on February 26th, Saturday at 2:00 pm. Remembrances may be sent to the Tacoma Humane Society.