Maude Thickens Gridley, 65, of McKinney, Texas passed away on February 1 , 2022 after a twelve month battle with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (a blood cancer). Maude’s death leaves a huge hole in the hearts of her husband, John Westcott, her family and many friends. Maude was truly a caring, loyal, and nice person.
Maude was born on February 23, 1956 to Priscilla Stevens Jones and James Gregory Gridley in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Maude’s birth mother tragically died when Maude was a young child and she was raised by Barbara Buckingham Jones (her aunt and the sister of her birth mother). Maude attended Nicolet High School in Milwaukee until her father and Aunt Mom moved to Austin, Texas where Maude attended Westlake High School, graduating in 1974. Maude attended University of Kansas, graduating with a B.A. in Graphic Designs in 1978. Maude was a huge Jayhawk basketball fan and a loyal Pi Beta Phi sorority alumni.
After graduating from K.U., Maude moved to Dallas, Texas and over the next 40 years worked a variety of jobs including graphic design, printing, marketing, real estate, and, for the last 10 years, a banker with J.P. Morgan Chase Bank.
In 2017, Maude met her spouse, John E Westcott, and they were married May 2, 2019 in Collin County, Texas. Maude retired February 2, 2020 and enjoyed gardening at her home in McKinney. Maude and John both loved jazz and attended many live concerts in Austin, San Antonio and Dallas. Maude had an encyclopedic knowledge of jazz artists and was an accomplished piano player. Maude’s love of live concerts started early age when she accompanied her best friend’s family seeing The Beatles perform in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on September 4, 1964 and a few years later, Duke Ellington’s jazz orchestra. During the latter part of the 1990’s Maude worked for Q102 rock radio and would often say that she attended so many rock concerts during that time that she lost count.
Maude is predeceased by her father, James Gregory Gridley, her birth mother, Priscilla Stevens Jones, her aunt mother, Barbara Buckingham Jones, her brother Clifford Gridley, and her cats, Puffin and Dancer. She is survived by her brother Greg Gridley and his wife Jane, of Kinston, North Carolina; her brother Leander Gridley and his wife, Cynthia, of Mancos, Colorado as well as her step mother June Nave and husband, Keith Nave, of Fairview, Texas; step children Patton Gleason and wife Andrea; Haley Bezon and husband Andy; Brennan Gleason and wife Catie; as well as cousins Clark Gridley and wife Kathy of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Bill Winkler and wife Cathy of Sarasota, Florida, and her cat, Jazz.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. As a faithful Christian, Maude’s life truly reflected these words in the way she treated all she came in contact with.
On Maude’s behalf, her husband John, thanks all of the doctors, nurses, and staff at UT Southwestern in Dallas and Richardson for the kindness and caring cancer treatment over the past year.
A memorial service will held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 23, 2022 at Turrentine Jackson Morrow Funeral Home, 2525 Central Expressway North in Allen, Texas. The service will be livestreamed at the following link; https://celebrationoflife.tv/blog/maude-thickens-gridley. The recorded version will be available on the same link after the service.