Judith Lawrence Edwards, 66, of Clayton, died Thursday, November 1. She is survived by her husband of 40 years Barker Edwards of Clayton, her mother Alvera Lawrence, sister Audrey Lawrence and niece Judy Smith of Raleigh, and her sister-in-law and brother-in-law Margaret and Dennis Hyatt and niece Heather Dolan of Charleston, South Carolina.
Judy graduated high school from St. Mary’s School in Raleigh and attended both North Carolina State University and Meredith College. While she was in college, she worked two summers at Walt Disney World and then eventually moved to Orlando to work there full time. During her two years at Walt Disney World, she worked her way up from Penny Arcade cashier to Lead in Ticket Sales at the main gate.
She moved back home to work at the Carolina Federal Savings & Loan and date and later marry Barker. She enjoyed crocheting and tatting and won over 300 ribbons at the North Carolina State Fair. She entered crafts, pound cakes, cookies and African Violets and won Best of Show in tatting one year.
Judy was active in the Triangle Chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) and was secretary and newsletter editor while Barker was president. She later started the Brass Nickel Touring Region (AACA). Judy won a number of national awards for the Brass Nickel. She also spent time as the co-editor for the Buzzard Breath Touring Region. Judy owned several antique cars, but her favorite was the 1918 Model T Center Door she named Elizabeth. She won a total of 24 Master Editor Awards for the two newsletters she published, 12 Webmaster Awards, the Augustus Post Award for the 1999 Vintage Tour, the Ann Eady Award for Outstanding Newsletter, and the Spark Plug Award for Outstanding Web Page twice. She is the only member to have won the Eady and Spark Plug Awards the same year and the only member to have won the Spark Plug Award twice.
Judy also maintained four websites: the 75th Historical Antique Automobile Club Of America, the Carolina Chapter of the Antique Wireless Association, the Junior Antique Automobile Club of America and the Brass Nickel Touring Region Antique Automobile Club of America, both of which the Henry Ford Museum linked to. Judy was also a member of the Antique Radio Club and a founding member of the Clayton Historical Society.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the AACA Library and Research Center Endowment Fund in Hershey, PA.
