Judy MacWillie

A Celebration of Life service for Judith Kaetzel MacWillie will occur at 9:30 am Monday, September 21, 2026, at Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home in Killeen. Burial will follow at the Central Texas Veterans' Cemetery at 11:00 am.

Judith Kaetzel MacWillie, known to many as Duchess, died on Sunday, September 6th. She was 86.

Judy, the eldest child born into a hard-working, blue-collar family, spent much of her childhood in the Shenandoah and Blue Ridge Mountains of Maryland and Virginia. Although raised in humble conditions--her father was a filling station attendant, and her mother was a homemaker-- she was always surrounded by family and love. Upon graduating from Harrisonburg High School in Virginia, she moved to Washington, DC and worked as a secretary within the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was during this time she met the love of her life, Don. After a three-year courtship and just prior to Don’s graduation from VMI, they were married in a simple ceremony in front of family and friends.

As a military spouse, Judy and Don relocated to multiple military installations, enjoying new adventures and building a family. One of the more surprising activities picked up over the years, having married into an equestrian family, she loved to ride horses and compete in Hunter-Jumper competitions.

As a result of these assignments, Judy resided, on and off, in Killeen since 1973. It was during her initial stay at Ft Hood that she started planting roots. She began working for the Killeen Independent School District in 1975. First as the Administrative Assistant to the KISD Director of Personnel, followed by 15 years as the Executive Assistant to the KISD Superintendent. She retired from KISD in 2000.

Always active in her local community, Judy served as a board member of the Bluebonnet Girl Scout Council and St. Christopher Episcopal Church Altar Guild. Upon retirement from KISD she became a Metroplex Hospital volunteer, running the hospital gift shop for many years. She later served on the St. Christopher’s School Board as the board secretary. In 1996, she was named a Girl Scout Woman of Distinction; an honor she accepted with great pride.

Upon full retirement, she enjoyed traveling with her husband to Europe and Canada—and multiple trips back to the East Coast and the Texas Hill Country. Visiting and spending time with her grandchildren occupied the remainder of her time. In May 2009, she and Don celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Regular Monday morning breakfasts and mid-week lunches with her close friends became the energy that powered her week. In her spare time, she became a gifted artist. Oil painting and quilting became a passion, displaying some of her artwork at local shows. It brought her great joy to see her paintings and quilts decorating the homes of family and friends.

Judith K. MacWillie was born in Frederick, Maryland on October 11, 1939, to Ronald Shellman Kaetzel and the former Jenetta Elizabeth Rummel. She married Don on May 2, 1959.

She is survived by her three children, Elizabeth Fangman (Duane), Karen Simmons, and BG (R) Don MacWillie, III; 8 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren; a brother, CDR (R) Ed Kaetzel of Front Royal, Virginia; a sister, Jeanie Eye of Harrisonburg, Virginia; and countless friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Don; her grandson, Cody Simmons; and her daughter-in-law, Sherri Rose MacWillie.

In lieu of flowers the family asks you to donate to the charity of your choice, in her memory.

The family will receive visitors from 5 pm to 7 pm on Sunday, September 20, 2026, at Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home, 1615 S. Fort Hood St, Killeen, Texas 76542.