Amy Josephine Sooy-Tollefson

SOOY-TOLLEFSON, Amy Josephine "Amy Jo" It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Amy Josephine "Amy Jo" Sooy-Tollefson on February 13, 2019 in Cheney, Washington. Amy Jo was born in Sprague, Washington on November 25, 1933 to Mary Iva (Billie) and Ernest (Babe) Melville. Amy Jo was raised on a wheat farm in the Lamont/Sprague area. In 1945 at the age of 12 her family moved from Lamont, WA to a farm on the Cheney-Spangle Road. She graduated from Cheney High School in 1951. She married Fred Sooy in 1953 and was a farm wife for many years, caring for her children, husband and cooking for many farm hands who worked on their ranch. Amy Jo enjoyed being involved in her community, volunteering for Eastern Star, Job's Daughters, PEO, Cheney Chamber events, and the Cheney Planning Commission. The highlights of her involvement in Job's Daughters included being the Grand Guardian of Washington State in 1977 and being the supreme musician for the National Convention in Hershey, PA. Through her work she influenced countless young women. She was involved in PEO since the early 70s and served in many officer roles, as well as president for two terms in her current Chapter IQ. She also had a love of playing cards. She played bridge with a group of women from Amber that still meet today and was an avid pinochle player. As a business woman, Amy Jo owned a dress shop and the CountySeat Restaurant in the 1980s. She was a realtor and appraiser for Cheney in the 1970s through the 1990s. Her civic responsibility continued with involvement in the Cheney Chamber of Commerce, being the Director in the early 1990s. She was most proud of being the first woman to serve as the Mayor of Cheney from 1998-2005. During this time she also served on the Light Rail committee as a representative of Cheney. She was Chair of this committee twice during her tenure as Mayor. Amy Jo is survived by her daughter, Linda (John) Vickrey, Coos Bay, OR; son, Jim (Patti) Sooy, Cheney, WA; Ron Sooy, Cheney, WA; Ray (Kathleen) Sooy, Spokane, WA; brother, Richard (Diane) Melville, Cheney, WA, and sister Erna Jean Bauer, Cheney, WA. She is also survived by four grandchildren: Ean Vickrey, Portland, OR; Brenna Vickrey, Los Angeles, CA; Luke (Kate) Sooy, Bozeman, MT and Colby Sooy, Odessa, WA. She was preceded in death by her husband, Fred Sooy-husband of 50 years in October, 2003 and Husband Dan Tollefson in March 2013, as well has her sister, Mary Lee Adamson A funeral service will be held on Saturday, February 23 at 1:00, at the Cheney United Methodist Church, 4th and G street. Private family burial will be at Spokane Memorial Gardens Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Cheney Care Center or to PEO Chapter IQ in Cheney.

Amy Josephine Sooy-Tollefson

November 25, 1933 - February 13, 2019