Judith Rosemarie Lujan

Judith Rosemarie (Wachter) Lujan died at home on July 22, 2024, at the age of 82. Judy was a lifelong teacher and learner who spent more than 43 years in education, and her kindness and warmth will be remembered by everyone who was lucky enough to know her. She had a remarkable talent of striking up conversation with anyone anywhere, and within minutes she would be hearing their life story and have made a new friend.

Judy was born June 6, 1942, in Mt. Angel, Oregon, to Joseph and Rose (Schwab) Wachter. She grew up in Mt. Angel and after graduating from Mt. Angel Academy in 1960, she entered the Benedictine Sisters. Here she began her teaching career, first as a student teacher and then on assignment at St. Edward’s School in Lebanon, Oregon. During this time, she also attended Mt. Angel College, where she received her bachelor’s degree in 1968. After her graduation, she left the convent and moved to San Francisco, which would remain her home for the rest of her life.

She received her first master’s degree in 1971 from the University of San Francisco, in Teaching of Religion, and started teaching at Schools of the Sacred Heart Elementary. Shortly thereafter, she met Lawrence Lujan, whom she married in 1973. The two would remain married for 35 years. In 1978, they welcomed their son, Paul, but this didn’t slow Judy down one bit. In 1981, just as personal computers were beginning to enter the home, she became interested in using technology in education, taking classes in BASIC, COBOL, and Logo, and became a K-8 computer specialist at Sacred Heart in 1982. Through the rest of her career, she continued learning technology to bring into the classroom, from the Apple II all the way through the iPad, and taught numerous classes and workshops to share her expertise with other educators.

In 1986 she completed her second master’s from USF, in Education with an emphasis in educational computing, and started her toughest assignment as a Technology Resource Teacher at Malcolm X Academy (originally Sir Francis Drake Elementary) in Hunters Point in San Francisco. She stayed there for 13 years, working to ensure that some of the most disadvantaged students in the city would have the opportunity to learn computers, and was honored as a Star Teacher in 1990 by then-Mayor Art Agnos for her work.

Judy underwent chemotherapy for breast cancer in 1999, which was a very difficult time for her, and left Malcolm X to work in the SFUSD Curriculum Improvement and Professional Development Office. She continued to work as a teacher in the field on special assignment to several SFUSD schools, ending at Sherman Elementary on her retirement in 2014.

Judy is preceded in death by her parents, her older sister, Carol (Wachter) Piatz, and Carol’s husband, Francis Piatz, of Mt. Angel, OR, and her older brother, Kenneth Wachter, of Salem, OR. She is survived by her son, Paul Lujan, his wife, Juliana Froggatt, and her granddaughter, Katrina Lujan, of San Francisco, CA; her nieces, Judy (Steve) Carbone of Indianapolis, IN, Carolyn (Terry) Connolly of Tigard, OR, and Ruth (Philip) Wehby of Nashville, TN, and her six grand-nephews and nieces, Sarah, Abigail, Joseph, Maggie, and Rachael Wehby, and Mary Grace Connolly.

Judy loved reading, especially with her dear friends in her book club, and music; she was a long-time patron of the San Francisco Symphony and Opera, and a talented pianist, organist, and singer in her own right, often playing the organ for Christmas services at St. Mary’s. She also was an enthusiastic traveler; when Paul and Juliana moved to France in 2010, she happily spent many vacations traveling around Europe with them. But she was even more delighted when they moved back to live with her in October 2023, along with a 1-year-old Katrina, and spent those months doting on Katrina as only a loving grandmother can.

Above all, though, Judy loved other people. She cared deeply for her many students, and never hesitated to go the extra mile for them when they needed her help. Even on vacation in Paris, Milan, or Athens, she could somehow start talking with a complete stranger and soon be chatting as if she was with a friend she had known for years. She was full of kindness and compassion for the less fortunate in our society, always keeping in mind Jesus’s commandment to love thy neighbor as thyself. After her retirement, she started renting out part of her home on Airbnb, and was delighted by the chance to meet visitors from all over the world and show off her beloved San Francisco to them. She was such a positive force in the world and touched so many lives with her warmth and generosity.

A memorial service will be held for Judy at noon on Tuesday, August 6, at the San Francisco Columbarium (1 Loraine Court), with a reception to follow. The service will be preceded by a viewing and rosary from 11 am to noon. Streaming video will also be available for those who are not able to attend in person. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to one of Judy's preferred charities: the Charlotte Maxwell Clinic of Oakland, Planned Parenthood, Meals on Wheels, or the Breast Cancer Action Group.

The service can be viewed via Zoom, using the following link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88371054404?pwd=EW82u9XgrwbkmRlbGZW5af1GJo1wuW.1