Judith Joan Bazeley

Judith Joan Bazeley was born February 2, 1948 in Melbourne, Australia. She attended Melbourne Girls Grammar School where she excelled at both her studies and the sport of field hockey. On holidays Judith enjoyed visits to the country home of her grandmother Joan Macdonald who, along with her aunt Joan Bazeley, was the inspiration for her middle name. Much of Judith's time on the farm was spent in the pleasant company of her Macdonald cousins who lived on the property next door. And although she was wildly allergic to the golden wattle trees that dotted the Australian countryside, she loved nothing better than to go riding through the hills on Billy, her cherished horse.

In 1963, Judith’s father, the esteemed virologist Dr. Percival Bazeley, moved the family to La Jolla, California in order to continue his work with Dr. Jonas Salk and the Salk Institute. Previously, Dr. Bazeley was instrumental in helping develop the Salk Polio vaccine. In La Jolla, Judith attended The Bishop’s School and then La Jolla High School. Upon graduation in 1964, Judith headed to the University of California, Berkeley where she received a BA in History and French. She loved French culture and visited France several times. Soon after, she received a secondary teaching credential from San Francisco State University and joined with a band of eight other teachers to start an alternative high school called The Daily Planet in Concord, California. As one of the school’s founders, Judith was instrumental in developing the philosophy and direction of the school that valued a less repressive style of education and recognized and nurtured each student’s unique talents.

When the Daily Planet ended, Judith went to Golden Gate University School of Law where she earned a Juris Doctor degree and was selected for membership in the Law Review. Judith supported herself through law school working at a popular Ghirardelli Square eatery called the Wine Cellar and came home most evenings dressed in the long brown monk’s robe that was the server’s uniform.

Although Judith loved San Francisco, the adventure and opportunity of Alaska beckoned. She moved to Anchorage in 1977 where she eventually opened her own successful law firm. Judith adapted easily to the Alaskan lifestyle that included hiking, fishing, and flying in bush planes. Occasionally, her legal clients paid her in wild-caught Pacific salmon. While in Alaska, Judith adopted her two daughters, Marta from Peru, and Veronica from Alaska. They were the light and loves of her life.

In 1987, Judith and the girls moved back to Southern California to be close to Judith’s father and her mother, Helen Bazeley. Judith worked briefly for the State of California and then opened a law practice of her own specializing in domestic relations, where she worked on and off for the rest of her days. Judith had a bright, quirky mind, full of original ideas and observations. She loved animals and children and her home was a warm haven. She was a loyal and kind friend and a dear, devoted mother who will be deeply missed. Judith is survived by her children Marta Wade and Veronica Bazeley and four grandchildren – Liliana, Christina, Ava, and Gabriel.

She also leaves behind her younger brother Andrew Bazeley, her baby sister Jill Bazeley, and her five nieces and nephews – Landon, Brittany, Christian, Andrew, and Alexander.