Judith Reuter Hamelers

Judith Ann Reuter Hamelers, 74, of Houston, passed away on November 20, 2020. Judy was born to Ernest Reuter, Jr. and Winifred Murphy Reuter and grew up in Livingston, TX. She graduated from Livingston High School and received her bachelor’s degree in Math and Chemistry from Texas Tech University, later receiving her master’s in School Counseling from the University of Houston. Judy served as president of The Texas Tech chapter of Alpha Chi Omega.

Judy valued education, her family, her faith, her friends and her community. She worked in Washington D.C. for the U.S. Census Bureau after college, then taught high school Math and Chemistry in Houston. She took several years off after her daughters were born. Judy then taught middle school math at Spring Branch Junior High while raising her 2 daughters and attending night classes to get her master’s degree. She worked as a school counselor at Thornwood, Meadow Wood, and Rummel Creek elementary schools.

Judy was an accomplished alto, singing in the Tuesday Music Club for many years as well as the Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church choir, where she served on the choir board. She was a church elder, theater lover, birder, a skilled knitter and cross-stitcher, and an active member of her game and bridge groups, knitting group, book groups, and the AAUW. She loved seeing new places, traveling as far in recent years as Venice and the Amazon River, and she enjoyed traveling to the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park Colorado each year with her family. Most of all, she loved being a mother and Nana.

Judy is survived by her daughters Rachel and Amanda Hamelers, sons-in-law Michael Powell and Matthew Filip, grandchildren Anna Filip, Madelaine Powell, William Filip, James Filip, and Elliott Powell, sisters Carol Henry and Linda Nadolski, honorary cousin and friend since childhood Karen Winship, as well as many beloved nieces, nephew, great-nieces, great-nephews, and friends.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, funeral services will be held for family only at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Judy’s name to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Memorial Area Ministries (MAM), the Houston Food Bank, or the First United Methodist Church of Livingston, Winifred Reuter Endowment Fund.