Judith Ann Presswood

Judith (Judy) Grundy Presswood, 86, beloved mother, wife, Nana, great-grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully in her home on June 30, 2026. When reflecting on her life recently, she said, “I never wished I were somewhere I wasn’t.” We know this is still true now that she is with her heavenly Father.

Judy was born to Jack and Ila Steele Grundy in Houston, TX, on May 14th, 1940. She grew up in the Garden Oaks neighborhood with her brother, Rick, and graduated from Reagan High School as a proud member of the Reagan Redcoats drill team. To be friends with Judy at one time meant to be friends with her forever; she still visited with childhood friends up until her death and loved to reminisce about old times, such as the Redcoats’ trip to Los Angeles, when she and her friends bravely knocked on Ricky Nelson’s door and ended up taking photos with him.

Judy attended Texas Tech University, where she was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority and met her first husband, Bob Dyer, when he helped her move into her freshman dorm. The two married upon his graduation and moved to Cape Cod, Massachusetts and then Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before returning to Houston with their daughter, Kathy. Their sons, Scott and Steven, came soon after. Above all else, her greatest joy and most cherished role in life was being a mother. She devoted herself to loving her children and creating fun family opportunities to share together. Though her marriage with Bob later ended, they remained connected through their children.

In 1984, Judy married Ron Presswood, whom she dated in high school, and they shared their lives together for forty years. They both appreciated the Texas Hill Country and enjoyed driving the two-lane highways to see the bluebonnets and wildflowers each spring. Together they also traveled to Australia, Ireland, Mexico, and Europe.

One of their highlights was having a home on the Guadalupe River where she and Ron could surround themselves with their children and grandchildren. They had special gatherings for birthdays and holidays, including Memorial Day and the 4th of July, complete with John Philip Sousa marches blasting from her Wurlitzer Jukebox for all the tubers on the river to enjoy.

Judy was loving, honest, hilarious, humble, faithful, passionate, and fun. She counted her blessings and appreciated the simple things: a cold Diet Coke, spotting owls from the swinging bench, an Elvis song, canoeing and fly fishing, Blue Bell Vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup, apple strudel from Naegelin’s, seeing Jerry Jeff Walker at Gruene Hall, and being in her backyard with her fish pond while her grandchildren and great-grandchildren ran wild.

She loved a great book, but more importantly, she loved discussing them with her book club of 55 years, which took club trips including to Santa Fe and New York City. Having explored sciences in college, she was always expanding her knowledge of the trees and flowers that would thrive in her climate, the different birds migrating through, and the specific seeds needed to support their journey.

Judy was an optimist who had the imagination to see things not only as they were, but as they could be, such as adding a window seat at the river house for reading. She planted a tree when each of her grandkids was born and often took them to see how it had grown. More significantly, she believed in her children and grandchildren and supported them in achieving more for themselves. When asked about her proudest achievements, she said, “The achievements of my children.”

However, the most important accomplishments in anyone's life are loving and being loved, and Judy accomplished these a hundred times over. She was always happy to be where she was, and those who loved her always felt lucky to be in her presence.

Judy is predeceased by her parents, her husband, Ron Presswood, and son-in-law, Brian Schultz. She is survived by her brother Rick Grundy and wife Barbara, and she and Ron’s combined five children, ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren - Kathryn (Dyer) Bendheim, husband Tom and children Rebecca (Allie), Bruce (Natalie), Lauren and Julia; Scott Dyer, wife Nadja and children Mekenna Murray (Tim) and Tristram, and granddaughters Ellyse and Reagan; Steven Dyer, wife Christine; Dixon Schultz and son Austin; Ronald Presswood, Jr., wife Barbara and sons Dylan (Lindsey), Tyler (Brooke).

She is also survived by her mother-in-law Trudy Hodges Presswood; brother-in-law Thomas Presswood, wife Karen and daughters Jacqueline Cain (Sean) and son Marshall, and Rebecca Harris (Leighton) and son Leighton, Jr.; and sister Cheryl Tamborello, husband Joe and son Richard Kulikowski, Jr.; and many beloved friends.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 9, 2026, in the Chapel at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, 11612 Memorial Drive, Houston, Texas 77024. A reception will follow in the church's parlor room.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to The Bluebird Circle or the Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited.