Judy Fant Douglas

Judy attended Powderly Baptist Church and Shades Mountain Baptist Church. After meeting her husband, Walter Douglas, she began attending Hunter Street Baptist Church. Judy and Walt were/are some of the very few original members of Hunter Street who still attend there.

Judy graduated from Jones Valley High School in 1957. Her first job was as a teletypist for BellSouth Phone Company. Most of her career was spent in banking at Southtrust Bank in the downtown main office. She later worked in the print publishing industry at Cook Publications in Birmingham.

Judy is survived by her husband, Walter Gordon Douglas; her son, Jeff Powell (Kim); and her daughter, Shelley Powell Sedlak (Jon). Judy/JuJu/Granny loved all of her grandchildren and referred to them as her “piglets” because she loved pigs. Her "piglets" are Taylor Powell, Brandi Berryhill (Powell), Destiny Berryhill (Powell), Mallie Sedlak, and Lucy Sedlak. She also adored her great-grandchildren, Dawson Berryhill and Reddington Berryhill Kumer.

Judy’s favorite baby brother (and only brother), Steve Fant, lovingly referred to her as Sister. She is survived by her sister-in-law, Linda Laird. Judy also had many nephews, nieces, great-nieces/nephews, and great-great-nieces/nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charlie Green Fant and Gladys Lona Dodson Fant; her sisters, Peggy Jean Fant Woods and Helen Virginia Fant Mayfield; her brothers-in-law, Hugh Edward Woods, James Cleon Mayfield, and Don Laird; and her mother-in-law, Mary Dallas Douglas.

If you knew Judy, you loved her. She never met a stranger and could travel anywhere in the world and run into someone she knew (she literally went to Ireland and saw someone she knew from back home). She was the life of the party and loved getting together with friends and family. She enjoyed shopping, dumpster diving, decorating, thrift stores and yard sales.

Judy would plan fun games for the family to play at gatherings and loved continuing her mother’s tradition of hiding presents at Christmas and giving clues to find them. She loved sports and would watch all she could on television. She was able to attend some collegiate and professional games in person.

Her favorite baseball team was the Atlanta Braves. She never missed a game and even when she couldn’t open her eyes to watch the game, she was listening. A dear friend, Travis, brought her his World Series ring to wear several times and she loved telling people about him and the ring and bobble heads he gave her. At one Braves game, she was mistaken for Polly Holiday (Flo) and the TV camera kept showing her and people kept asking for pictures with her. There are many stories of her laughter and smile and love for people. She had a sign saying, “Laughter is like a splash of sunshine on the water.” I will end with a saying that sums up our mom perfectly: "Love and Laughter."

Visitation will be held on Saturday, June 10, 2023 from 12-2 p.m. at Hunter Street Baptist Church, 2600 John Hawkins Parkway, Hoover, Alabama. The service will begin at 2 p.m. followed by procession to the gravesite committal at Southern Heritage Cemetery, 475 Cahaba Valley Road, Pelham, Alabama. All are welcome to the service and gravesite committal.

If you would like to make a donation in lieu of flowers in Judy’s memory, we suggest the UAB Center for Palliative and Supportive Care. You can make a donation online at Give.UAB.edu. Click on give now, enter amount, choose the Search schools block, enter palliative in the search box, mark the first choice (Center for palliative and supportive care compassion fund), then choose in honor/memory and put Judy Douglas, mail notification to Shelley Sedlak, 2410 Meadowbrook Road, Decatur, AL 35601. Follow steps to make payment. Or if you prefer to mail a check, make it out to UAB Palliative Care Center and put Judy Douglas on the memo line. Mail check to UAB-Palliative Care, 1720 2nd Ave. S., Birmingham, AL 35294.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.SouthernHeritageFunerals.com for Judy Douglas's family.