Therese Harriette Means

Therese Harriette Means

December 24, 1957 – April 11, 2024 (age 66)

Three words perfectly describe Terry.  Strength, Resiliency and Love

Terry was born December 24th, 1957, in Wynberg, South Africa and had a rough start in life. She was given up as a small girl and had no real home or stability until she was adopted by Jolie and Hans Veit. The Veit family, Jolie, Hans and their two sons Peter and Paul gave her a loving and supportive home. She met her first husband in the late 1970s and her daughter, Taryn, was born in 1981. Her family was made complete with the birth of her son, Gary, in 1983. Terry did not want to raise her family in South Africa, so she moved her young family to Melbourne, Australia, in 1986.

Life in Australia brought enjoyment through exploring national and state parks, coastal road trips and building a new home. She was a keen tennis player and played on a team with her daughter for many years. Terry easily found work as a secretary and eventually as personal assistant to executives in the corporate world.

Tragedy struck in 1994 with the passing of her precious son, Gary. Life would never be the same. She was lost and broken, but a few years later, Tom would enter her life and she began to heal. She immigrated to America in 2001 and became a US Citizen a few years later….. hence, the completion of what she termed her “Triple A Status”, having lived in “Africa, Australia, and America”.

Tom and Terry were married in 2002, and Terry immediately became a stepmother to Tom’s two sons, Paxton and Jeremy.  She was a guiding influence in helping to raise the boys, although with a household of all males, she was a bit outnumbered.  Terry found employment with several large corporations, finally settling on REI, where she was a Certified Purchasing Manager.

Terry loved the outdoors and Tom was the perfect partner as he grew up enjoying being out in nature.  There were many RV trips to various parts of the Northwest with additional trips to Idaho, Montana, the Dakotas, Utah, Oregon and California.  Of course, the trips and hikes were frequently interrupted by stops to take pictures along the way.  Terry particularly liked taking photos of trees.

Tom and Terry moved to Bonney Lake in 2017 where they built their dream home in a 55+ community and made many new friends.  They joined the RV club and made several memorable trips with the group.  Terry loved to play games and particularly liked playing pinochle, scrabble, and Mah Jong with friends.

Terry also loved traveling internationally and visited many places in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. One special trip to South Africa resulted in Terry connecting with her two birth brothers Derick and Greg, which she had located through exploring several genealogy sites.

Terry was very clever, witty and an avid reader and writer. She also had a bit of a naughty side and a wicked sense of humor. She absolutely loved shopping and if something was ‘on sale’, then she couldn’t resist! She especially loved shopping with her daughter and friends. Chocolate and “Kitties” were also some of her greatest loves, those were always abundantly present in her home. Terry also loved to give back to the community and during her life volunteered in Palliative care, visited local Senior homes and was part of the local fire brigade in Australia.

Terry was unapologetically herself in every way. She was a pillar of strength and resilience and chose to see the beauty in life around her.

She was preceded in death by her beloved son Gary. She is survived by her husband Tom, her daughter Taryn, stepsons Paxton and Jeremy, 4 grandchildren and extended family.

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