Judith Maurice Wilkinson

Judith M. Wilkinson, 76, of Glenview, formerly of Winnetka, November 17, 2014. Loving mother of Kiffen Nielsen, and Peter Nielsen. Grandmother of Becky Nielsen. Memorial visitation Friday, November 21, 2014, 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Wm. H. Scott Funeral Home, 1100 Greenleaf Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, 60091. Memorial Service Saturday, November 22, 2014, 11:00 am at Christ Church, 784 Sheridan Road, Winnetka, Illinois, 60093. Interment Private. 847-251-8200. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Legacy Foundation of Columbia Yacht Club, Columbia Yacht Club, 111 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601. 312-938-3625

Judith Maurice Wilkinson was born and raised in Poughkeepsie, New York, by Robert Wilkinson Jr. and Dorothy Depew. She and her brother, Robert DePew Wilkinson, spent many fun summers at both the Connecticut shore and the families camp in the Adirondack League Club. She went to Emma Willard boarding school for High School where she first discovered a love of the theater and developed her artistic skills. In 1959 after earning a bachelors degree in Medical Technology from Colby Sawyer College she moved to Chicago to work at Passavant Northwestern Hospital.

She met her husband Edward Peter Nielsen Jr. at Columbia Yacht Club, They married in 1961 and spent most of the next 10 years racing their Tumlaren, Viking as often as possible, including many Mackinac Island Races, They met Charles and Barbara McBride, one of their closest sets off friends, through sailing. After Kiffen came along Thanksgiving weekend of 1967, Judy quit working and devoted herself to raising her children. Peter cam along in April of 1969. They met Jim and Judy Rigas when they moved to an apartment in Rogers Park from near Belmont Harbor, The shared back porch, babies, and their husbands working long hours forged a tight bond between the Judy's. They and the families spent so much time together that all four children called them both Aunt Judy-Mommy while they were toddlers.

Early in the 70's the Nielsen family moved to Evanston, and by the mid 70's they had bought two gift shops, the gift Box in Deerfield and the Gift Lantern in Northbrook, so the Ed could stop traveling for work so much. Ed ran the shops while Judy used her artistic skills to do the ads from design and photography to layout. The move also meant a change in sailing type and venue. The whole family now sailed small scow on Pistakee Lake. After the winter olympics of 1976 when both children got involved with Figure skating, her hobby became designing and painting sets for the Ice shows they were in. She was also on the board and held offices in Evanston Skating Club. It was through skating that The Diehl Family, came into her life. Judy considered Noel and her sisters to be family.

In 1981 the family moved to Winnetka so Kiffen could attend New Trier High School instead of Evanston. As the kids were no longer Skating, Judy needed a new outlet for her artistic side. She found this with Winnetka Community Theater, Children's Theater of Winnetka and the Village Follies. She was a set designer and painter, did and designed hair and make-up, produced and preformed. She also got her kids involved to varying degrees. In 1984 Judy separated from her husband Ed. and since her kids were both busy in high school, became partners selling Real Estate with Gail Johannson who she met through the theater.

In the early 90's she expanded her chosen family again by becoming a second mother to Kiffen's best friend, Frank Skony. In 1994 when Peter got engaged to francesca Cioccetti she was thrilled and threw herself into the wedding preparations. She was even more excited to become a grandmother, when she was finally presented with her long awaited and adored grandchild Becky in 2002.

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