Obituary for Judith A "Judy" Kelley (Weaver)
Judith Anne (Weaver) Kelley of Natick, passed away peacefully on November 5, 2020, in the comfort of her home, at the age of 73. She was a caring and devoted wife, mother, Mimi, daughter, sister, aunt and friend. Judy was born in East St. Louis, Illinois, to the late Leroy and Rita Weaver. She was predeceased by her loving husband Martin Kelley and was the amazing mother of Timothy Kelley and his wife, Paula, of Natick, Kerri Kearns and her husband, Paul, of Quincy, Jamie Kelley-Burke and her husband, Michael, of Natick. Judy loved her grandchildren more than anything. She treasured her time with each of them, whether it was cheering them on from the sidelines, sitting in the audience at a play, driving them to work, taking them to lunch, or just sitting in her living room and chatting. She was the best Mimi in the world. She will be missed tremendously by Delia and Georgia Kelley, Connor and Caitlyn Burke, Liam and Brynn Kelley and Brendan and Gavin Kearns. She also leaves behind her sister and best friend, Susan Fitzsimmons of Northborough, brother, Richard Weaver of Wellesley and Key West, Florida, her nieces, nephews, and many cherished and beloved friends.
Judy was a graduate of Wellesley High School and Pondville Hospital School of Nursing. She worked at Newton-Wellesley Hospital for many years. After having children, Judy chose jobs that had “mother’s hours” so she could be home with her children after school. In 1999, Judy found an ad in the paper for a family looking for a nanny. She took the job and almost instantly, Roger, Jennifer, Sarah, Abby and Andrew became part of the Kelley family. It wasn’t until 2018, after the twins graduated from high school and were heading off to college, that Judy “retired” from what she called, “the best job in the world.”
Judy was known for her big smile and generous heart. Her light was always on and her door was always open. She would welcome anyone with a hug and a seat at the table. She was a second mom to many and was the mom that everyone went to for advice and a home cooked meal. She loved having a house full of people, the more the merrier.
After Marty passed, Judy’s friends and sister came together and provided a wonderful comfort and support system. She had a better social life than people half her age. Judy loved her dinner outings. It didn’t matter if it was “prime rib night or a “2 for one special,” Judy always accepted an offer and would order one sangria with “lots of fruit!” She always had a friend to yard sale with, shop with, take a ride with and most importantly, laugh with. Judy loved her friends and knew how blessed she was to be surrounded by such caring and kind people.
In 2016, Judy was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and was given 12-18 months to live. During that visit, immediately after receiving that news, Judy shed a few tears and then asked her oncologist what was the longest period anyone with this diagnosis had lived? He answered 10 years but that was extremely uncommon. Without skipping a beat, Judy said, “I’m going to do that.” Over the past 4 years, Judy’s cancer has spread and she underwent difficult treatments and surgeries. But there was never a moment when Judy ever thought about giving up. Her positive attitude and amazing strength kept her going. Judy smiled everyday. She never complained and often said, “It could be worse.” Even in these last two months when Judy’s health declined quickly, she would stop everyday and say, “Life is good!” When you asked her how she was doing or if she needed anything, her response was always the same, “I’m perfect!” And she was. Judy was an inspiration and a gift to everyone and will be missed by all who had the pleasure of spending time with her.
Judy’s family would like to say a special thank you to Dr. Lathan and his team at Dana- Farber Hospital, West River Hospice, and our angels on earth that gave special care and friendship to Judy during these past 2 months; Sheila, Susan and especially, Bridget, “the favorite.”
A private funeral mass will be held at St. Linus Church on Tuesday, November 10th. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the burial at Glenwood Cemetery (25 Glenwood Street, Natick) at 11:00am. There will not be any visiting hours.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Judy may be made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA or to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675.
Judy was a graduate of Wellesley High School and Pondville Hospital School of Nursing. She worked at Newton-Wellesley Hospital for many years. After having children, Judy chose jobs that had “mother’s hours” so she could be home with her children after school. In 1999, Judy found an ad in the paper for a family looking for a nanny. She took the job and almost instantly, Roger, Jennifer, Sarah, Abby and Andrew became part of the Kelley family. It wasn’t until 2018, after the twins graduated from high school and were heading off to college, that Judy “retired” from what she called, “the best job in the world.”
Judy was known for her big smile and generous heart. Her light was always on and her door was always open. She would welcome anyone with a hug and a seat at the table. She was a second mom to many and was the mom that everyone went to for advice and a home cooked meal. She loved having a house full of people, the more the merrier.
After Marty passed, Judy’s friends and sister came together and provided a wonderful comfort and support system. She had a better social life than people half her age. Judy loved her dinner outings. It didn’t matter if it was “prime rib night or a “2 for one special,” Judy always accepted an offer and would order one sangria with “lots of fruit!” She always had a friend to yard sale with, shop with, take a ride with and most importantly, laugh with. Judy loved her friends and knew how blessed she was to be surrounded by such caring and kind people.
In 2016, Judy was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and was given 12-18 months to live. During that visit, immediately after receiving that news, Judy shed a few tears and then asked her oncologist what was the longest period anyone with this diagnosis had lived? He answered 10 years but that was extremely uncommon. Without skipping a beat, Judy said, “I’m going to do that.” Over the past 4 years, Judy’s cancer has spread and she underwent difficult treatments and surgeries. But there was never a moment when Judy ever thought about giving up. Her positive attitude and amazing strength kept her going. Judy smiled everyday. She never complained and often said, “It could be worse.” Even in these last two months when Judy’s health declined quickly, she would stop everyday and say, “Life is good!” When you asked her how she was doing or if she needed anything, her response was always the same, “I’m perfect!” And she was. Judy was an inspiration and a gift to everyone and will be missed by all who had the pleasure of spending time with her.
Judy’s family would like to say a special thank you to Dr. Lathan and his team at Dana- Farber Hospital, West River Hospice, and our angels on earth that gave special care and friendship to Judy during these past 2 months; Sheila, Susan and especially, Bridget, “the favorite.”
A private funeral mass will be held at St. Linus Church on Tuesday, November 10th. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the burial at Glenwood Cemetery (25 Glenwood Street, Natick) at 11:00am. There will not be any visiting hours.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Judy may be made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA or to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675.