Gertrude “Trudy” Elliott, beloved and devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and longtime Teacher’s Aide at Woodbridge Children’s Center in Martinez, CA, passed away peacefully at home on December 4, 2020 at the age of 93 after a brief battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Trudy is survived by her loving children Evelyn Reposa (and husband Robert), Austin Elliott, and John Elliott; her grandchildren, Denise Berthiaume (and husband Bryan), Marcy Reposa, and Johnathan Elliott; and her great-grandchildren, Andie Berthiaume and Alex Berthiaume.

Trudy was born in Oakland, CA on November 26, 1927, but grew up in the small town of Samoa, CA in Humboldt County. She moved back to the Bay Area sometime in the 1940’s and settled in Pleasant Hill, CA where she raised her three children. Trudy then moved to Martinez, CA in 1981 to live with her daughter Evelyn and her family. In March of 1982, she started working as a Teacher’s Aide at Woodbridge Children’s Center located at John Swett Elementary in Martinez, CA. Trudy was known as the “Grandma of Woodbridge” and would go on to work at the children’s center for over 30 years, finally retiring at the age of 88. She absolutely loved working with the children and staff at the center. The children were comforted by her genuine kindness and compassion. In turn, the children kept Trudy's youthful spirit energized. As a testament to her love for her Woodbridge family, Trudy’s room became a collage of mementos, art projects, and gifts given to her over the years.

When Trudy wasn’t working at Woodbridge, she enjoyed spending quality time with her family and friends. She could often be found sitting on the porch chatting with a family member and sipping a cup of coffee. Trudy was an avid reader who would burn through books faster than most. She especially enjoyed reading romance novels, with Nora Roberts being her favorite author. She absolutely loved the color purple which you would quickly learn should you visit her bedroom. Trudy was not shy about letting people know she despised the color yellow. This is just one example of her quirky personality. Trudy would visibly light up when she received flowers and was especially fond of purple/lavender hydrangea plants.

Trudy forged friendships with people of all ages and backgrounds. People were naturally drawn to her sweet, understanding, comforting, and fun personality. She was a very generous person; someone who would give you the shirt off her back. She was polite, appreciative, and grateful, saying “Thanks a Million!” to everyone who did even the smallest favor for her. Trudy had a huge heart and an even bigger sweet tooth. She enjoyed just about every type of dessert with lemon-flavored treats being her absolute favorite. She couldn’t get enough sweets and often exclaimed “Deeeelicious!” after finishing off a tasty treat.

Trudy's family knows that she touched many people's lives and hope that this memorial website will provide a platform for people to share memories and stories of our beloved and one-of-a-kind Trudy. She was an incredibly caring, compassionate, and generous person who would give you the shirt off her back. Trudy was a big advocate for helping those in need. And, in these current challenging times, there are more people than ever who need help. Please consider making a donation to one of Trudy’s favorite organizations; 1) Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano; 2) St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; 3) UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals Foundation.