Judith Ann Weatherwax Burke
April 10, 1940 - May 20, 2013
FIND A GRAVE Link
"When we are crushed like grapes, we cannot think of the wine we will
become. We need to be reminded that our cup of sorrow is also our cup of
joy, and that one day we will be able to taste the joy as fully as we
now taste the sorrow." ~ Henri Nouwen
Our beloved mother, and our
father's wife of 51 years, passed away Monday, May 20, 2013. Her husband
and two daughters were at her side when she left the world she loved
and enriched.
Born in April 1940 in Glendale, Calif., Judy was the
oldest of three sisters, with whom she was very close and for decades
shared an annual "three-sisters vacation" at the Little Sister Resort in
Sister Bay, Wis. These trips brought her great joy and were the
highlight of her year as they were filled with late night laughter,
endless craft projects and friendly competitions at the paintball
shooting range or baseball batting cages.
Our parents met in high school
when they were 15 years old. They married on July 28, 1962, and settled
in San Luis Obispo in 1968, where they raised their family and watched
their daughters grow up in the community they loved. Mom and Dad's life
of 58 years together included many wonderful family vacations, lots of
movies and Sunday crosswords, and in recent years, unforgettable world
travels.
Our mother's talents and accomplishments and examples of her
kind nature cannot possibly be condensed into a short sketch such as
this; however, her passion for designing and making beautiful quilts,
her amazing piano playing, the trips she took around the world with our
dad, and the pride she felt for her daughter's and grandchildren's
achievements would be the starting point of outlining what was important
to her.
Mom was also a lifelong learner - after her children were
grown, she went back to school. After finishing her bachelor's degree
at Stephens College, she continued on to earn two master's degrees from
Skidmore College. Our mother was an active member in her community and
enriched the lives of others through service with the Monday Club, Civic
Ballet Performing Arts Center, Law Wives Group, and many other
volunteer positions throughout the years.
Judy leaves behind her
husband, Jeffrey Burke; two daughters, Brooksley (Burke) Williams and
Meredith (Burke) Lawler, sisters, Marjorie Baldwin and Nancy Carlson.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Mary Lee and Robert Chandler Weatherwax.
As
our mother was especially passionate about women's education and its
vital role in shaping young women to become well-rounded, compassionate
members of their community, contributions in her memory can be made to
your favorite charity that supports education or the arts. Or, in lieu
of a charitable contribution, consider also simply "paying it forward"
with an act of kindness toward another, as our mother did on a regular
basis. She knew how far an encouraging word and a warm smile could
travel, and it would bring us great comfort to know her legacy of
kindness, good will, and wonderful humor will endure.