Vicki Lee Wiedrick

Vicki Lee Wiedrick (née Child, adopted Wisoki) was born in Boise ID but spent most of her youth in Butte MT before returning to attend Boise Junior College (now Boise State University), where she majored in primary education and met some of her closest friends. She was an older sister to Laurie Gaffney (née Wisoki) through their mother Betty Hammond (née Izaak), and to Grant Child through their father Howard Pax Child. She always thought of Boise as her spiritual epicenter because it was the lifelong home of her maternal grandparents, Emil and Mabel Izaak, who held a particularly special place in her heart and shone brightly in her memories.

Vicki lived a life defined by love of family, Christian faith, and compassion for children. Her friendships were deep and enduring, and all who knew her saw in her a boundless sweetness of spirit and a disarmingly quirky manner filled with humor and good cheer. She struggled with unusual health issues her entire life — having both a heart surgery and a brain surgery before age 8, and suffering the consequences of an undiagnosed functional hydrocephalus for decades — but she faced the challenges of her life with remarkable grace and little complaint. Her faith was a source of strength, and she read the Bible every day she was able. She was often unsure of herself but always true to some deep inner core that she drew definition from.

She grew up in affluence, surrounded by prosperity and privilege, but embraced humility and sought only the simple pleasures of a life shared with others. She often told the story of a beloved childhood friend who lived in poverty but never wanted for love or happy times, and how the joys of that humble life shaped her vision of family for her own future. She was forever content with what she had and never placed importance on material wealth, believing that character and kindness were worth far more. Some of her happiest memories came from her younger years when she and a close friend taught at the same elementary school together and shared a place in the tiny town of Burns OR, spending their evenings going “honky-tonkin” at the local country haunts.

What Vicki cared most about was love. She could make a friend anywhere and felt a particular tenderness for people who were overlooked or misunderstood. She possessed uncanny emotional insight, often seeming to see straight through a person’s actions to the hopes, fears, and feelings underneath them. She was a deeply empathetic listener who worried about how her words and actions affected you. She was never careless with the feelings of others.

Vicki had a rare gift with children, meeting them in their own little world and sharing their humor and imagination as though they were all in on a secret together. That gift found a special purpose in her work with children with disabilities, a calling that became one of the roles she was most proud of. She found great joy in helping children discover their strengths, navigate their challenges, and recognize what they were capable of.

But the role that mattered most to Vicki was motherhood. From her earliest childhood she dreamed of being a mother, and when she became one she embraced it wholeheartedly as her life’s mission. By her mid-20s she had returned again to Boise where she met and married Jack Wiedrick, and in their 17 years together they had three children — Jack Jr, Jill, and Holli — who became her greatest sources of pride and joy. Her grandchildren — Michelle, Andrew, Kiyoshi, Aileen, and Lazlo — brought her that same deep joy.

Her marriage to Jack ended in divorce but later in life she found love again with Martin McKay, whom she affectionately called her “nearly perfect” man. Before Martin came along, her beloved little dog Chester had proudly occupied the title of her “boyfriend”.

She was always gloriously, unmistakably Vicki: a little goofy, a little off-kilter, and entirely authentic. Her squinty cockeyed grin, funny little tottering walk, legendary Where are my keys?? moments, and sincere but unfulfilled promises of I’ll be just a minute! all became part of the family lore. She loved to sing — regardless of whether the song benefited from her participation. She loved classic country music and was always moved by gospel and songs of praise.

Vicki died peacefully, surrounded by her three children. She leaves behind many whose lives she touched with her kindness, humor, acceptance, and characteristic way of being in the world. She was loved. She will be missed. And she will be remembered exactly as she was — warm, compassionate, perceptive, faithful, funny, entirely herself.

Vicki’s Celebration of Life will be held at:

Black Bear Diner

1731 S Entertainment Ave, Boise, ID 83709

October 24th, 2026 from 2pm-5pm

Food and drinks will be provided.

Please let us know if you need any accommodations or help with transportation.

Contact Holli @ 208-867-0467