In celebration of Judith Wedin's life so much can be said about a wonderful and beloved mother & wife; who was so cherished, and always will be.
A wish would have been for Judith, or Judy as she liked to be called, to have had more time with her grandchildren that she loved so dearly. A wish for Finley and Olive, the grandkids, to know they had a grandmother that could have been an angel; someone who loved them more dearly than life itself.
Judy Wedin, 80, departed this earthly realm on August 12, 2023 at her home in Woodburn, Oregon, with her son Matthew at her side.
Judy was preceded in death by her husband Lawrence, or Larry Wedin; and her mother & father, Mary & Marvin Barry. The surviving members of Judy's immediate family include her older brother Thomas, or Tom Barry, Las Vegas, NV; her daughter Amber White, Jackson Heights, NY; Sundance, or Sunny Bleckinger, Portland, OR; and Matthew Wedin, Woodburn, OR. Judy also leaves behind her most special canine companion: Max, a fifteen-year young Chihuahua-Dachshund, who never left her side.
On November 1, 1942 Judy was born in Detroit, MI. In 1950 she and her family moved to Los Angeles, CA; then to Palm Springs, CA where she lived most of her life. Judy graduated from Palm Springs High School in 1961; this is also the same high school all her children attended. After high school Judy traveled to Israel and lived on a cooperative work farm, or a Kibbutz, for two years. Judy's time on the work farm was treasured and a joy to hear her reminisce about. Judy briefly attended UCLA in the 1960s, for a short while, until her father passed away and she moved back to Palm Springs to help her mother.
In 1971 Judy and Larry were married; they were soon blessed with their first son, Matthew. Family was always of the utmost importance to Judy. In 1984, after always wanting more children, Judy and Larry adopted Sunny and Amber, ages 6 and 5 respectively.
They not only raised three children, but for several years also took in three nieces, and a nephew, from one of Larry's brothers. With seven kids to care for, Judy would cook dinner daily, after working full time during the week. Every weekend Judy went grocery shopping and purchased two shopping carts full of to feed the seven children ranging in ages from 3-15. Judy loved giving to her children, her nieces and nephews, and even cooking meals for any friends from the neighborhood. Judy spoke about these days as the greatest times of her life.
Judy's career was at GTE, or General Telephone & Electric; that became Verizon in the 1990s. During Judy's thirty years at GTE she worked in many departments, from operating a switch board, in the 1960s, connecting calls; to later various roles within customer service. After retiring from GTE Judy was employed as the attendance receptionist at a continuation school in Cathedral City, CA.
Judy aways had a belief in God. She was Jewish, became Lutheran when she was Married, and transitioned to Catholicism after her children were grown.
Something important that needs to be mentioned about Judy was how she instilled the foundational knowledge in her children that all men and women are created equal. Nothing about Judy was prejudice or hateful, she was too filled with love, and she taught her children to be the same.
In November 1992 Judy, and her daughter Amber, cooked up a huge batch of brownies & fudge and sent it to Orlando FL, U.S. Navy boot camp, where Matthew was. The pounds of chocolatey treats were enough for every one of the 80-man boot camp company to have brownies & fudge for several days, the Company Commander had to ration the home baked good. Needless to say, Matthew got along well with everyone in boot camp, most especially after the entire company & Commander had eaten the delicious creations Judy & Amber sent.
Judy was always there for her children, and she did anything possible for them. She saw Sunny and Amber off to college after they finished high school, and always supported their endeavors - be it in music, theater, or whatever passions they had at the time. Her motto was "whatever makes you happy". And she was there many times at the end of the pier, in San Diego, when the Navy ship returned with Matthew.
Judy was there immediately: when a child broke a bone, got in trouble at school; she was always there for her family & friends. She loved her children and grandchildren so much every day of her treasured life. She was able to have many travels later in life to visit her grandchildren-Los Angeles, Portland, New York, and once even to Texas. For over 10 years leading up to Judy's passing, Judy and Amber talked on the phone nightly. Amber would call her on her walk home from the subway station after finishing work. Each conversation wasn't long, but it was very meaningful and kept them connected, even across the country.
Judy Wedin will be missed greatly. Every memory will be held close to all those so fortunate to of known her. Judy touched the lives of so many people during the eighty years this Earth was graced to of had her. Judy Wedin was more than special; she was the best!