Judith Lorraine Krafchick

Judith (Judy) Lorraine Krafchick died on June 24, 2026 at the age of 88 peacefully in Littleton, Colorado. Judy was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She was born on Oct. 6, 1937 to William (Bill) Schindler and Blanche Kirschner. She had a younger brother, Arthur born in 1941. The family lived in a two room apartment in Brooklyn where Judy shared a bedroom with Arthur.

Education, music, and hard work were core values for Judy and her family. Judy graduated from Erasmus High School in Brooklyn in 1955. Shortly thereafter, she met her husband, Jay Krafchick, while performing in the Catskill mountains, where Jay was the pianist for his band and Judy was invited to be their vocalist. They married in 1957, when Judy was 19 and still had 2 years to complete her bachelor’s degree at Brooklyn college. Jay bragged about how he put Judy through her last two years of college.

After completing her degree Judy worked as a junior high school music teacher, in Irvington, NJ for two years. The birth of her first daughter, Dana, put her teaching career on hiatus. Her second daughter, Shari, followed three years later. Shortly thereafter Judy prematurely lost both of her parents within one year. They were both in their mid-fifties. Life continued to bring more challenges when her husband’s curtain and linen store closed during the 1967 Newark riots, and Judy had to go back to teaching to help support the family. She gave piano lessons out of her home and started as a special education teacher while getting her Master’s Degree in Special Education at Montclair State, all while caring for two young daughters. She instilled the values of hard work and perseverance into both of her children and cheered them both on with their successes both in and out of school.

Judy was hired as a middle school guidance counselor in Livingston in the early 1970’s. She alternated between middle and high school counseling at Heritage Junior High School and Livingston High School. During her tenure as a guidance counselor, Judy had a tremendous impact on the lives of many students.

In 1979, at the age of only 41, Judy was diagnosed with breast cancer. While volunteering for Reach for Recovery, she met other breast cancer survivors, some of whom remained lifelong friends.

Judy retired in 2008 at the age of 70. She found new challenges in retirement, one of which was caring for her ailing husband during the last few years of his life. After Jay’s passing in 2011, Judy continued to find meaning and purpose in some of her favorite activities, including tennis and folk dancing. In addition, she remained active in her synagogue, Temple Emanu-El of West Essex, until it closed in 2017, and merged with Temple Sinai of Summit, where Judy continued her involvement in Torah study and was a regular at Shabbat services.

In July 2020, Judy went to visit her daughter and son-in-law in Colorado and decided to stay and became an integral part of their household, enjoying spending time in the yard, watching TV, and playing Mahjong.

Judy loved her family and cherished her time with her children and grandchildren in New Jersey and Colorado. She enjoyed introducing her grandchildren to things she loved in life such as music, dancing, and Broadway shows. Judy was the heart of her family; she was a source of love, wisdom, strength, and passion for life. Her warmth touched the lives of so many, and her legacy will continue through the family and friends she cherished so deeply. While our hearts are heavy with her loss, we are grateful for the many wonderful memories she leaves behind.

Judy is survived by her daughters, Dana Krafchick and Shari Naidrich, and her grandchildren, Sarah Porter, Danielle, Jack and Lauren Naidrich.

The funeral will be held on Sunday, June 28 at 11am at Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, 68 Old Short Hill Road Livingston, NJ 07039.

Shiva will take place at the home of Shari and Steve Naidrich.

Sunday from 4:00 - 8 pm following service

Monday from 1:00 pm - 3:00 and 5:00 pm - 8 pm

Tuesday from 1:00pm -3:00 pm and 5:00 pm-8:00 pm