Judith Abel Katz

Born in Boston, MA, she and her family moved permanently to Sharon, MA when she was in second grade. She also lived in Florida, Syracuse, NY, Geilenkirchen, Germany, Kalamaki, Greece, Foster City, CA, Bellingham, MA, and the Cedar Crest Continuous Care Retirement Community in Pompton Plains, NJ.

At age 16, she inadvertently became a freedom rider when she and a small group of B’nai B’rith peers refused to leave a segregated railroad car that was going from Chicago to New Orleans despite the insistence of railroad employees. A 1959 Honor Society graduate of Sharon High School, Judy attended the University of Massachusetts where she met and became engaged to Leland Katz. She then graduated from the Boston School of Dental Nursing in the first program of four-handed dentistry. After graduation, she was asked to come back and teach in that program until Leland went on active duty in the Air Force in Syracuse, NY where she worked as a dental nurse.

Returning to Sharon, where her extended family lived and where her children were born and raised after Leland’s overseas duties brought them to Germany and Greece, she became active in the community as a member of the Democratic Town Committee, a volunteer in the public schools, a two-term member and twice chair of the School Committee. Her community involvement extended to Temple Israel in Sharon where she was an active member of both the school and building committees. Moving to Foster City, CA because of her husband’s career, she maintained her volunteer work and love of children by volunteering in both public school and library literacy programs.

Judy and her husband returned to MA after retirement, and at Judy’s insistence, they became trained and certified volunteer Medicare insurance counselors in the Massachusetts SHINE (SHIP) program.

At Cedar Crest, she became a member of the Jewish Council, the Democratic Club, and both a member and vice chair of the dining committee as well as an active member in numerous community programs.

Judy leaves behind a legacy of devoted service to her family, her friends, and the various communities she has called home. Although never personally ambitious, her lifetime of service and care for others changed lives and made communities better. She is survived by her husband of over 60 years, Leland, her daughter, Sarah, of Chevy Chase, MD, her son, Daniel, daughter-in-law, Jennifer, and grandchildren Samantha and Joshua of New York City. She also leaves her sister, Joan Abel Parker of Sharon, MA, brother, Samuel Abel-Palmer of Shelburne, VT, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, February 24th at 10 AM at Temple Israel, 125 Pond Street, Sharon, MA followed by burial at Kovner Cemetery, Baker Street, West Roxbury.

Services will be livestreamed at: https://tinyurl.com/JudithKatz

Donations in her memory may be made to Cedar Crest Resident Care Fund, 1 Cedar Crest Drive, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444, Temple Israel Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund at tisharon.org, or to a charity of choice.