Mrs. Judy Gillison, known to her friends as Mrs. Chip and Dale, passed away on the morning of March 29, 2017, after a brief battle with liver cancer at the age of 74, with close members of her family at her side.
Judy was born on July 10th, 1942 in Pennsaukin, NJ to the late Alfred and Elva Lawrence. It was during her Junior year of High School that she met and fell in love with Jake Gillison. They were married on July 8th, 1961 and soon after started their family. For the next 55 years Jake would lovingly refer to Judy as “Mom”.
In 1977 Jake and Judy moved with their four children to Walpole, ME. For the next 20 years they worked and raised their family along the Maine coast. Together they retired in 1997 and eventually escaped the New England winters by moving to Florida. Through the years they would continue to make visits to their family in Maine and New Jersey. It was at the beginning of their retirement years that Jake and Judy developed a passion for frequent visits to Walt Disney World.
Judy was especially fond of Chip and Dale, collecting anything that she could find with their likeness. As the years went by their dedication, friendship and love grew. Jake and Judy were inseparable and you never saw one without the other. They truly were Chip and Dale. Over the years they developed many friendships with cast members that they met during their frequent visits to Disney World. They loved walking around the parks and enjoying an ice cream as they strolled along. In the last few years Jake and Judy could be seen pin trading with their friends at the Disney resorts.
Judy is survived by her loving husband, Jake, their four children; David Gillison and his wife Kat of Lake Wales, FL, Debbie Wallace and her husband Damon of Waldoboro, ME, Doug Gillison and his wife Shari of Harrisburg, NC and Larry Gillison and his wife Vicky of Pickins, SC; her brother David Lawrence and his wife Karen of Skillman, NJ; 14 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
The family will be holding a private celebration of Judy’s life.
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