I am privileged to be reading this on behalf of both sides of Judith’s family, and especially her maternal cousins, Carol and Rick, who considered Judith to be their honorary ‘big sister’ and whose families have been closely interwoven since childhood. These reflections spring from their family memories and recent conversations with Judith, supplemented from our side of the family, from former colleagues, and from her friends in the church homegroups to which she belonged. 

Judith was born in Upminster in 1955, the only child of parents who experienced some of the traumas of World War 2, as both their family homes were bomb-damaged during the Blitz.  Her mother, Bunty, was engaged to a Spitfire pilot who was sadly killed during the Battle of Britain.

After the war Bunty became close friends with my Mum who then introduced Bunty to her brother, Eric. As Bunty slowly came to terms with her loss, she and Eric, who was a firefighter during the Blitz, grew close and, when my parents married in 1948, Bunty was chief bridesmaid and Eric was Dad’s best man. Two years later Bunty and Eric were married and five years after that Judith was born. As an aside, when Dave and I married on my parents’ 23rd wedding anniversary in 1971, Judith was my chief bridesmaid and Eric played the organ for our service.

Judith’s early childhood was very happy, with her maternal grandmother and other relatives living close by. In 1958 our family moved to live almost opposite them in Upminster. Being 3 and 5 years older than Judith, my brother John and I led her into all sorts of childhood adventures in our garden and the fields behind our house, much to Bunty’s dismay! Our family didn’t have a television so once a week we were allowed to go across the road to watch ‘Dr Kildare’ followed by ‘It’s a Square World’ – a real treat for us both. In 1965, when Judith was ten, they moved to different part of town where they lived for the next few years.

Feltham Christmases were often spent with Carol and Rick’s family in Suffolk or they, in turn, would visit Upminster for memorable Christmas lunches. When Bunty suffered some serious health issues, Judith went to stay in Suffolk, where Carol and Rick showed her the delights of rural life on a farm. Later, Carol stayed with Judith and was in awe of Judith’s roller-skating skills and all the Christian youth activities available for youngsters in Upminster. 

Eric was an Elder in the Brethren chapel in Upminster but, by her early teens, Judith decided that this was not where she wanted to worship, and she recently described the fallout when she broached this to her Dad. However, she remained adamant that, at 13, she was old enough to choose where she wanted to grow in her Christian faith, and she joined Upminster Baptist Church where she is still fondly remembered by some of the congregation there.

Judith made many lifelong friends in the schools that she attended and also at Girls’ Brigade. She showed much aptitude for languages and music at school, was very proficient on the piano, played the cello in the school orchestra, and sang in local choirs. 

After completing her schooling in 1973, she attended Central London Polytechnic for two years, gaining a Diploma in Multi-lingual Secretarial Studies in French and Spanish, which included a term at Madrid University. Soon afterwards she started working for the South American Purchasing Company in central London, where her fluent Spanish stood her in good stead.

In 1977 Eric’s company relocated to the Lake District. Judith initially stayed behind and continued to enjoy her job in London whilst lodging with the Watkins family who had four adopted children. 

Meanwhile, Bunty found the move from Upminster extremely challenging, uprooted from family and friends and transported to a very rainy part of the country. Judith endeavoured to support her mother through this difficult time and eventually decided to move north in the best interests of the family. 

In 1979 she was offered a job at Lancaster University in a team organising international placements, a role which she thoroughly enjoyed for the next 6 years. Initially she lived with her parents in Windermere and then moved to a shared flat in Kendal. However, like Bunty, she found moving away from Essex a challenge, missing the easy companionship of friends that she had known for years.  

Judith was determined, however, to settle into her new life and joined the local Evangelical church and a Christian rambling group where she quickly made new friends. Judith and Eric planned long weekend walks, setting off in all weathers armed with flasks, picnics, maps, and the inevitable waterproofs, whilst Bunty resolutely counted the few days it had not rained. Judith continued to make frequent trips back to Essex, catching up with as many family members and friends as she could, a tradition she continued until very recently. 

Eric’s approaching retirement led to the third phase in Judith’s life, when the family moved to Sidmouth. Judith spent weekends travelling up and down the motorways between Devon and the Lake District until she was offered a job with the Exeter Diocesan Board in 1985. Initially, she lived with her parents before moving into Exeter in 1988. In 2002 she purchased the flat that she lived in for the rest of her life, where she relished having her own garden, which became her real pride and joy.

Soon after this she faced her most difficult challenge when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Judith did not want to distress her parents with this news, so she bravely underwent the treatment by herself, supported by a couple of very close friends. When Eric was dying in 2011, she discovered that more treatment was needed, and, again, went through this with her friends’ support. It was only after Bunty died in 2013 that she started telling her wider family and friends about her diagnosis and we were all amazed at how courageous she had been. 
 
Judith worked for the Diocesan Office in Exeter for over 36 years, in a variety of different teams. At times, the work was challenging but she made many long-standing friendships with colleagues. The managers in the property maintenance team, where she worked in recent years, gave her tremendous support, especially through the difficulties of lockdown. She officially retired when she was sixty-five but carried on as a volunteer until overtaken by health issues earlier this year. 

A clergy colleague, Prebendary John Skinner, wrote: ‘The diocese needed staff who were calm and steady, reliable and adaptable, and Judith was just the person for the job...We praise the Lord for such a contented and consistent Christian, she was a blessing in the Church and to many in the Diocese’.

And Judith’s manager, Graham, wrote: “She was truly humble, kind and thoughtful. The quality that stands out more than any other was Judith’s deep and genuine interest in the lives of other people. This was a real gift and made those she engaged with feel listened to and valued. She was a highly respected and much-loved work colleague who we will miss greatly.”

The years in Exeter swiftly rolled by, as Judith was busy working full-time, devotedly caring for her elderly and ailing parents as well as an aged aunt, catching up with other family members and long-standing friends, and being an active member of St Leonard’s Church for over 30 years, where her talented pianist and singing skills were very much appreciated.  She made so many enduring friends through the homegroup at St Leonard's where: (and I quote)

‘Judith will be remembered for her quiet, sincere, steadfast and unwavering faith, her godliness, prayerfulness and self-effacing modesty. Her hope and prayer in the face of her illness was that she would remain unshakeable to the end, which she was.  We are sure she will be worthy of the commendation “Well done, good and faithful servant”.’

She was a joint leader of the Sunday morning group for 5 to 7-year-olds for almost two decades, unstintingly giving her time. She loved engaging with this age group, making the teaching of Bible stories fun, with acting, dressing up and singing.

Her impact on young people is summed up by Carol’s son, Jon: “Judith always has, and always will be, a massive inspiration to me. She was undoubtedly the most kind and caring, as well as understanding and wise, person I have had the privilege to know. She will be much missed. I am incredibly thankful for the huge number of happy memories I have of her, the birthdays and Christmases, the family lunches, and the walks in the country.  I will try to think of Judith as I live my life, and project some of her traits of forgiveness and kindness onto the world around me.”

In the last couple of years Judith started attending Pinhoe Road Baptist Church, and made many new friends in the Life Group there, who said:‘When Judith started attending our church in 2019 it was great to get to know her properly and then, during Covid, she became a much-loved member of our Life Group. Her input and friendship were such a blessing to each of us. Her courage and faith as well as the fun and fellowship she had with friends was an encouragement to us all’ 

Judith celebrated her 66th birthday a few weeks ago with a party for these two groups of friends. Although it was evident that her illness was progressing, this made for a much-appreciated but poignant last celebration of her life.

Judith also enjoyed visiting Rick and Carol’s families in Penzance and Worcestershire, watching Carol’s sons, Kit and Jon, grow up. Kit explains: ‘One of the things that has transformed our relationship with Judith over the last few years has been our family WhatsApp group. Convincing Judith to buy a smartphone and learn a new form of technology was an easy task when the reward for her was daily photos of my parents' cat Delilah!’ 

Judith loved returning to Essex on whirlwind tours, as well as holidaying around Britain with friends Audrey and Hilary, visiting National Trust houses and gardens, doing long coastal walks with friends, always followed by afternoon tea. 

In 2019 Judith was told that the cancer had spread further which gradually limited her ability to do the things she enjoyed. This became especially challenging due to Covid restrictions, but she was fortunate to be able to ‘bubble’ with her friend Gail and they enjoyed outings together as things slowly became more normal.  Over the last few months, we have enjoyed seeing her reconnect with loved ones, whilst dealing with increasingly complicated health issues. As Kit explains:

‘The last time that my brother Jon and I saw Judith was a few weekends ago. Both Jon and I had been slightly nervous about the visit because we had heard of Judith's declining health. We needn't have been apprehensive though, as the second that we saw Judith we were met with hugs, laughter, and a conversation that lasted hours but felt like it went on for just a few minutes. We had thought that we would leave her flat feeling sad and deflated, whereas we actually left happy, and content having spent a fantastic day with a beloved relative.’

Judith was a quiet, modest, and reflective person, always putting others before herself. She was very capable, sometimes quite determined on a course of action and always enjoying her independent lifestyle. She had a loving concern for other people’s circumstances, whilst not being intrusive, and she always showed a genuine interest in her friends’ families. She was also very fond of her neighbours in Hillyfield Road. 

Her strong Christian faith has supported and guided Judith throughout her lifetime, and in all aspects of her life. She has always done her utmost to live her life as Christ would have wanted her to, selfless, supportive of others, kind, thoughtful and considerate, a good listener and a loyal and reliable friend, always making time for other people.
  
Each and every one of us here have been enriched by knowing Judith. Her deep faith has helped her to face the difficult challenges over the last few months with tremendous courage and acceptance. 

We are grateful that she was able to stay at home to the end, supported and cared for by us, and with the invaluable help of the community nursing team, her GP, carers, friends, and neighbours. She died as she lived – quietly, without a fuss, secure in her faith, and in the peace and safety of her own home.

We thank God for her life and entrust her to his care.