Obituary of Judith Mary Louise Howell
Judith Mary Louise (nee Boltz) Howell, our caring, smart, hard-working, feisty “I can do it myself” lady, born November 25, 1935, left us on Thursday September 23, 2021. She was a life-long resident of KW.
Judy leaves brother Bill (Karen) Boltz; nephew Ian (Sheila) Boltz, children Kyla, Emily; niece Lauris (Oliver) Kerschowski, children Tobias, Isaiah, Elisha. Also sister Wendy Hodgkin (David Woodruff); niece Heather Black (Arnold Free), children Will, Lucas, Maxwell; nephew John Hodgkin. Predeceased by husband Peter in 1981 after too few years together but much happiness; mother Amelia Rose (Schedler) and father Norman Lester Boltz.
Judy started work at 18 in Kitchener, with CMHC then Electrohome; the latter included modelling for Deilcraft furniture brochures. She was “Secretary” to the plant managers at Imperial Tobacco in Guelph for about 30 years. How that job changed over her time there! After retirement, she began over 20 years as a committed, often unseen, volunteer at St Matthews Lutheran Church in Kitchener.
Jude loved working with her hands - knitting and stitching, digging in the mud in her beautiful, eclectic gardens, painting handmade bird houses and brushing out her pooches after walks. Many knits went to Project Linus, Out of the Cold and dear friends. Dogs stopped at her home for a cookie and hug and she would always try to get a chortle out of any little child she passed by. She loved sports - in her teens she was a figure skater at the Stratford Skating Club; her favourite ski trips were to Stowe Vermont; later she followed many sports on tv and cheered for the E.E. of the CFL. Her humour showed as she named garden plants, Bluebird her Kharmann Ghia and Big Bertha the printer. She was self-taught in many areas but knew computers were invented to try to defeat her.
At Judy’s request there will be no funeral or memorial service. In her memory, a gift of your time or a donation to your preferred charity, or to the KW Humane Society, Grand River Hospital Foundation or St Mary Hospital Foundation would be appreciated by the family. Condolences for the family and donations may be arranged by contacting the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King St. S., Waterloo at www.erbgood.com or 519-745-8445.
“She whom we love and lose is no longer where she was before.
She is now wherever we are”. St John Chrysostom