Tarson, Wendy

TARSON, Wendy

Wendy Speziale Tarson, 68, passed away on June 9, 2022 at her home in Atlanta, Georgia surrounded by her loved ones.

She is survived by her husband, Ron; her sons and daughters-in-law, Mike and Allyson of Fairfield, Connecticut and John and Katrina of Chicago, Illinois; her sister and brother-in-law, Dona and David Luedde of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and sisters-in-law Wendy Lesser of Boulder, Colorado and Susan Golden of Mundelein, Illinois. She is also survived by grandchildren, Wesley, Vaeda, Emery, and Ryan.

Wendy grew up in St. Louis, Missouri with her parents and two older sisters. She went on to earn a B.A. from the University of Colorado where she fell in love with her soon-to-be husband. She went with Ron back to St. Louis to earn her M.S.W. at Washington University and created the family of four she always wanted. She was able to continue her social work for 20 years in St. Louis, Toronto, and Boston, all while creating and maintaining a fun, loving house in each of the cities the Tarson family called home.

In Massachusetts, Wendy decided to change careers and became a florist. After several years in her new career, she started to blend her love of flowers and helping people by providing horticultural therapy and volunteering at organizations wherever her home was. This included volunteer work at the Botanical Gardens in Chicago and Atlanta and at Highland Skyland Trails Mental Health Treatment Center. During the holiday season, Wendy shared her love of giving back with her family by bringing them to volunteer at Ronald McDonald House.

In her last years, Wendy became the Gigi – a title she'd always dreamed of – and spent most of her time visiting her kids, grandkids, family, and friends. When she wasn't out of town, her time in Atlanta was spent walking and talking with friends and finding more community connections with the P.E.O. Sisterhood and the Druid Hills Garden Club.

Throughout her life, Wendy loved to travel, eat, laugh, and stay active while always staying connected with family and friends that she cherished so much.

She always said that her arms were her best feature (they were pretty toned!) but her smile that illuminated her love of life and family is what she will be remembered for most.

Services to celebrate her life will be held this Friday, June 17 at H.M. Patterson and Son, Arlington Chapel, 173 Allen Road NE, Sandy Springs, GA 30328 at 2:00 PM.