Judith Anne (Johnson) Swihart passed away on April 21, 2021 at Condell Medical Center at the age of 81. After years of bravely fighting cancer and arthritis, she passed after a fall in her Libertyville home.
Judy was born in Mt. Vernon, NY on July 30, 1939 with her twin, Jeraldine to June Johnson (Lavezzi) and Warren Douglas Johnson. They moved to Chicago later and to a mink ranch in Gurnee when she was 7. Judy graduated from Warren Twp. HS in 1957 and from Carroll College in 1961 with a BS in combined science with an education minor. At Carroll, her brother Warren introduced her to her future husband, Joe. After Carroll she returned to Warren Twp. where she taught PE and shortly became Asst. Girls Dean.
Judy married LTjg Joe Swihart in June, 1964 who after a brief honeymoon, left for his final tour in the 6th Fleet. They moved to Indiana where they became parents to five children and motherhood came easily to Judy. They then lived in Highland Park, IL and finally Libertyville. When asked, Judy said that taking care of children was never difficult for her.
As their children grew older, she returned to teaching and to taking classes herself earning a masters degree from National College of Education. Until retirement at 64, Judy loved every day she spent with her 6th grade students at Highland Middle School in Libertyville, teaching them Health and Study Skills. She treated her students with respect and in return her students respected and loved her. Many letters from students and their parents filled her thick keepsake folder and were a testament to her teaching (and her motherly) skills.
Judy struggled to accept retirement, as it offered no daily rewards as teaching had done. Finally spending winters in Arizona, she began to enjoy sightseeing, visiting with her family and other amusements like the rest of the oldsters. Both she and Joe felt that these retirement years had become the happiest of their lives, despite the great amount of her pain in the final years.
Judy is survived by her husband of nearly 57 years, Joe, her children Kathy (Megumi) Takarabe, Sue Swihart, David Swihart, Dan (Dede) Swihart, and Doug (Janet) Swihart, and 9 grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister Jerry Howard and brother, Warren (Barbara) Johnson. Her family finds comfort that Judy has reached freedom from pain. We will celebrate her life at a public viewing Friday evening 5/7/21 from 4-8pm at Marsh Funeral Home, Gurnee. A private funeral will be held the following day.
In lieu of flowers, Judy would appreciate your gift to the National Alliance on Mental Illness at NAMI.org.
For Funeral info: Marshfuneralhome.com or 847-336-0127
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