Judith "Judy" Leslie Anderson

Judy was born on November 11, 1943, to Bob and Helen Tripp in Boston, MA. She grew up on Long Island, NY, and later moved to Hollywood, FL as a young teenager. After Judy finished the 8th grade in 1957, her family took a vacation to Hollywood, FL, and decided to make it their home. Judy attended McArthur High School and graduated in 1961. During high school, she served in various leadership roles, where she was introduced to Florida State University, a place which brought so many gifts to her life. At FSU, she became a member of Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority, Beta Gamma Chapter; she loved being a Zeta and was always fond of this sisterhood at FSU. Being an FSU Seminole was the realization of a dream, as she was the first of her family to go to college. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Vocational Home Economics Education and taught in the Broward County School System. With sewing as her specialty, she was recruited by McCall’s Magazine to work with schools across the nation on their sewing curriculum, demonstrating the latest patterns.

While working for McCall’s, she had an auspicious trip to New York City, where she stayed at the Roosevelt Hotel. On Friday the 13th of December 1968, at the hotel’s registration desk, she met Spike Anderson, an advertising salesman for the Wall Street Journal who was based in Los Angeles. This chance meeting led to their cross-country love story. Spike and Judy married October 26, 1969, and Judy moved to his native Downey, CA where they began their new life together. During their married life, they lived in Southern California, New Jersey, and Tallahassee, Florida, and raised their two daughters: Stacie and Amy. Judy lived to serve others and one of her favorite activities was being a member of Soroptimist International of Azusa-Glendora, CA. Through this organization, Judy made lasting relationships with a handful of professional women that remained friends until her passing.

Beyond teaching, Judy enjoyed a rewarding career as an interior designer and later as a real estate broker. However, after being widowed in 2004, Judy found her calling as a house mother for sororities and even a fraternity. Affectionately referred to as “Miss Judy,” she first served at FSU’s Kappa Kappa Gamma house; the Zeta Tau Alpha and Kappa Delta houses at the University of Rhode Island; and she finished her career in 2020, at Auburn University as the house mother of Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity. In her 14 years as a house mother, Miss Judy had the delight and honor of supporting more than a thousand women and a small group of young men as they moved through their college years. Working with the students kept her young and au courant.

It has been said by many, that Judy was one of the kindest women you could know. She loved to elevate others and she could find something positive about almost anyone. Ever the optimist, she had a special way of helping folks find solutions to the impossible and would often say, “It’s no problem. You’ll get through it!” Living independently until the end, she was ever the gracious hostess and loved to entertain her friends and family at her place, where she enjoyed being surrounded by her art, beloved mementos, and comfortable furnishings. It was amongst the comfort of her lifetime treasures, that Judy was unexpectedly found having passed away peacefully in her home, on January 25, 2024.

Judy’s favorite things in life weren’t things but rather her four grandchildren: Amy’s son and daughter – Aidan and Kaitlin Riley; and Stacie’s two sons – Enzo Roldan Toci and Tate Burckhard. Grammy Judy always emphasized how proud she was of each of them and believed they are destined for great things.

Remembering Judy with great love and affection are her daughter Stacie Anderson (Rodney Burckhard), daughter Amy Riley (Scott), younger sister and lifelong best friend Laurey Stryker (Charlie), nieces Nicole Keating (Kevin) and Erin Lee (Alan); sister-in-law Jean Tripp, nieces Dawn, Kathleen, and Megan Tripp; nephews John Moore, David Stoddard, and Ray Stoddard, and nieces Kerry Hamilton (Mike) and Katie Stoddard; cousin Susan Belcher, cousin John Tripp (Anne); former son-in-law Gustavo Roldan Toci and Enzo’s grandmother, Maria Toci; and many extended family and friends.

Judy was preceded in death by her beloved husband Spike, parents Bob and Helen Tripp, younger brother David Tripp, and sister-in-law Donna Stoddard.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation to the Nora Nell Jackson Endowed Scholarship, which benefits collegiate women of ZTA’s Beta Gamma Chapter. Nora Nell was the Beta Gamma Chapter Advisor during Judy’s time was at FSU; Judy always admired Nora Nell’s commitment to ZTA. You may donate online at https://give.zetataualpha.org/CSiDonate/Give.aspx/C40DA395#c and note in the comments that it is in Judy’s memory for the NNJ Endowed Scholarship. Or you may write a check and note in the memo area that it is in Judy’s memory for the NNJ scholarship. Checks may be sent to a secure lockbox at the ZTA bank:

Zeta Tau Alpha Foundation

PO Box 6269; Dept 325

Indianapolis, IN 46206