Heaven gained the warmest soul on May 6, 2025, when Trudy McWhorter, 74, of Apache Junction, Arizona, passed peacefully from this world, leaving behind a home built on unconditional love, laughter, and the smell of something always cooking on the stove.
Born December 9, 1950 in Coolidge to Vera Mae and Issac Andrew Bedford, Trudy was Arizona’s own through and through—rooted in its soil, its sunshine, and its spirit. She lived her entire life in the place she called home, raising generations, comforting neighbors, and making everyone feel like family.
She was the beating heart of the McWhorter family—wife to Gary McWhorter, and mother to Tarie Sosa and Gary McWhorter II, both of whom preceded her in death and whom she missed every single day. She is survived by her husband Gary McWhorter and her three grandchildren, Kaylee Slusher, Skylar Sosa, and Em Sosa, who were the lights of her life, her pride and joy, and the reason she kept going even through heartbreak no one should have to bear.
To walk into Trudy’s house was to be wrapped in safety. Whether you were kin or stranger, the door was always open, and the first thing you’d hear was, “You want something to drink? You want a Coke?”It wasn’t just a question—it was her way of saying, “You’re welcome here. You’re loved.”
She lived for others. She took care of everyone, whether you asked her to or not. A caretaker in the truest sense, Trudy didn’t need a reason to give—she just gave. She was famous for her cooking, especially her pork chops and her cheese tacos that could heal even the heaviest heart. But more than anything, she fed people with her presence. With her gentleness. With her faith.
A devout Christian, Trudy’s faith guided her through every joy and every storm. It carried her through the loss of her siblings—Katherine, Margie, Dennis, Florence, David, and JB—and through the unimaginable grief of burying her children. Still, she held tight to God, and to the love that overflowed from her soul. She became everyone’s grandma. A title she wore proudly. A role she fulfilled without limit.
To say she will be missed doesn’t begin to cover it. She leaves behind a world made better because she was in it. Her spirit lives on in her granddaughters, in the meals we’ll try to replicate but never quite match, in the warm greetings and the cold Cokes, and in every act of kindness we extend to one another in her name.
A graveside service will be held on May 16, 2025, at 9 a.m. at Mountain View Cemetery, located at 7900 E Main St, Mesa, AZ 85207. All are welcome. Because if Trudy taught us anything, it’s that love makes room for everyone.
Rest easy, Grandma. You were everyone’s, but you were ours first. And we’ll carry you with us, always.