Judith "Judi" Saye Fleming

Judith "Judi" Saye Fleming, 76, of Athens, Georgia, passed away on October 1, 2026. She was born in Athens on July 7, 1950, to Harold and Margery Saye, and spent every one of her 76 years in the town she loved. She never saw a reason to live anywhere else.

Judi was Athens through and through. She graduated from Athens High School and went on to the University of Georgia, where she earned a degree in journalism in 1972. At UGA she joined Pi Beta Phi, and the sorority remained one of the great loves of her life. You can be sure that every member of her family knew all the rush songs. She stayed active as an alumna for decades and never tired of telling anyone who would listen what Pi Phi meant to her. In her honor, the chapter created the Judi Saye Fleming Spirit Award, given to its most outstanding sophomore. Until her last days she was happy to tell anyone within earshot that the University of Georgia was the finest school in America.

Judi put her degree to work at The Observer, a local Athens newspaper, where she spent many years as a journalist and ad salesperson. She later built a career in mortgage banking and then became a concierge at the Ritz-Carlton at Lake Oconee. It was a fitting role for someone who loved people as much as Judi did.

She was a member of First Baptist Church Athens from the day she was born to the day she died. Judi also loved to read, and she loved cats. There was always at least one in her home, and even in her last days, a lifelike stuffed cat kept her company.

Judi had a big personality. She was deeply loving and could be wonderfully tender. Her family and friends were everything to her. That said, she also had an opinion on nearly everything, from higher education to politics. She was never shy about sharing it.

After a series of strokes about ten years ago, Judi lost much of her short-term memory, but never her stories. She told them constantly: about Chase Street Elementary School, Athens High, her days at UGA, and her childhood cat, Jerry. Before long, everyone where she lived knew Judi, and they all knew about Jerry too.

Judi was preceded in death by her husband, Barry Fleming, and her parents, Harold and Margery Saye. She is survived by her daughters, Kate Fleming of Shawnee, Oklahoma, and Sara Martin of Athens; her grandchildren, Craig, Carson, Serenity, James and Emma; her sister and devoted caretaker, Jill Dawson, and her husband Rick; her nieces, Laura Ullrich (Brian) and Emily Miller (Paul), who held a special place in her heart; and five great-nieces and great-nephews. The family is especially grateful to Sherry Shutze, Judi's best friend since childhood, who stood by her through every chapter of her life. The family also wishes to thank the staff at The Oaks in Athens for their extraordinary care and support throughout Judi's time there.

A celebration of life and reception will be held in the fellowship hall at First Baptist Athens at 12:30 p.m., on Sunday, October 18, 2026.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pi Beta Phi Foundation or the Journalism Excellence Fund at the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Bernstein Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.