In the early morning of Saturday December 16, iconic retired Judge Annette La Rue peacefully passed away in her bedroom at her home with her son Frank Bailey by her side.  She was 99 years old.

She was born September 10, 1924 in Fresno into a poor farming family the second of three children to parents Rainey Hodgen La Rue and Ruby Shipp La Rue.  She was preceded in death by her older sister Barbra and younger brother Knox.

She grew up during the Great Depression.  Life was hard.  Her first job was as a child cutting peaches for 4 cents a lug to help the family.  The hard times would forever shape her character.

Growing up she was a bit of a tomboy, much to her traditional parent's dismay.  Around the time she graduated Roosevelt High School in 1942 she decided to become a lawyer, an almost unheard-of choice for young women of the time.  She had no money for law school or support of any kind from her embarrassed parents.  Undeterred, off she went to Fresno State College to earn a degree in education for the purpose of getting a job as a teacher and saving money for law school.  She graduated Fresno State College in 1946.  Then taught grade school in Biola and, later, down the road in McFarland, Kern County.  They paid a $1000 more a year in McFarland she happily recalled.

She was accepted into Hastings College of Law in 1949.  In her class she was 1 of 25 women students verses 900 men students.  During her third year, she received the only contact she would have during this time with her parents.  One day, her father and Uncle John Will visited her in Mrs. Riemer's boarding house basement apartment.  Her father told her "Your Mother wants you to know no decent young lady can go this long without having a job" implying she was a prostitute.  She graduated Hasting College of Law in 1952 and passed the California bar shortly thereafter.

In 1953 she hung out her shingle and began practicing law, the second-ever female attorney in Fresno County.   She had no choice but to begin a private practice.  The male District Attorney told her he didn't want "any goddam females on my staff" when she applied for a job.  So, she threw herself into her craft, regularly working 80-hour weeks.  Her parents graciously let her visit the family home the afternoon of every Christmas.  She did eventually reconcile with her parents when she married and produced a grandchild.

In 1976 she became the first-ever female to sit on the judge's bench in Fresno County when she acted as a temporary fill-in.  Then, in 1978 she decided to run for judge which was, of course, crazy because nobody had ever succeeded doing such a thing.  But she pulled it off against all odds becoming a Municipal Court Judge from 1979-1998, then on assignment as a temporary fill-in Judge from 1999-2011.

Along the way she married John Barnard Bailey in 1958 and was widowed in 1982.  She gave birth to son Frank in 1960.

Judge La Rue enjoyed the following service and related activities:

Salvation Army Advisory Board

Fresno Philharmonic Board

Charter Member – National Association of Women Judges

Co-founder – Fresno County Women Lawyers

Charter Member – Rosecrest Guild

Fresno County Commission on the Status of Women – Woman of the Year 1990

Hasting Alumni Association Alumnus of the Year 1999

CSU Fresno Top Dog 2001

Salvation Army "Others" Award

Central Valley YMCA Board of Directors and Hall of Fame

Rotary Club of Fresno

Fig Garden Women's Club

She was a tireless women's issues advocate and sought-after mentor to countless aspiring women.  It cannot be overstated the positive impact she had on improving the Fresno community by promoting early generations of Fresno professional women.  In one famous 1989 example, on the front page of the Fresno Bee she called out the Fresno District Attorney's Office and large Fresno law firms for not doing enough to promote women to higher positions of responsibility.

She was a role-model's role model.  Her Christian beliefs informed her impeccable character.  She was a proud member of First Presbyterian Church of Fresno.  She also bettered the community by practicing a life-long commitment to in-person service.  She put others before herself as a way of life.

She loved to laugh, joke, visit, and entertain her many friends at her home.  People who knew her were always struck by her humility and humanity.  She was a world traveler often visiting foreign courts and foreign Rotary Clubs.  Of French heritage, she had an affinity for France and the French people, traveling there many times to visit close friends.

She was, perhaps, best known publicly for her even-handed wisdom from the judicial bench and leadership wisdom on Boards of Directors winning respect from people of all walks of life.  These were the works she most enjoyed in life with one addition:  raising a son.  She said he was "the most fun I ever had."

She is survived by her son, nephews John La Rue, Robert La Rue, Knox La Rue, niece Ann La Rue Matlow and cousin Suzanne Niswander Henderson.

She was laid to rest in a private ceremony December 28, 2023.  There will be a memorial service open to the public Saturday February 3rd, 2024 at 11:00 AM First Presbyterian Church 1540 M Street, Fresno, 93721.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Fresno First Presbyterian Church or the Salvation Army of Fresno or the Fresno Philharmonic.