Julia Lovett Ashbey

The Honorable Julia L. Ashbey, the first woman Judge in Monmouth County, New Jersey, passed away peacefully at home on July 24, 2023, surrounded by her husband of 66 years and her three children.

Julie was born July 5, 1931 in Middletown Township, New Jersey to C. Vanderveer and Christina (Fish) Lovett. She attended the Rumson Country Day School and was the third generation in her family to attend the Brearley School in New York. She obtained her BA from Barnard College in 1953 and was drawn to the law by "personal fascination" at a time when few women sought legal careers. One of only a few women to receive a J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1956, Julie was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1956 and joined the Trusts and Estates department at the prestigious law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison. Recognizing that her work at the firm did not fill her need to serve children's issues, she became staff counsel for the Citizens' Committee for Children of New York, where she found greater satisfaction through drafting legislation and other work protecting children's rights. It was this work that established the foundation of her career path.

In 1957, she married the love of her life, William Nelson Ashbey ("Bill"), and in 1960 they relocated to New Jersey to begin their family. In 1965 Julie became an associate and later a partner of Pillsbury, Russell and Carton. She was a member of the Juvenile Delinquency Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association, Trustee of the Legal Aid Society, Assistant Monmouth County Counsel and was active in the Monmouth County Bar Association. She was appointed to the Monmouth County Juvenile and Domestic Relations court in 1976 by Governor Brendan Byrne and became the first woman judge in Monmouth County, breaking the long tradition of male-only benches. Two judicial elevations followed, including appointment to the Superior Court and later to the Appellate Division. In 1985, she became presiding judge of the Superior Court. In one of her many noteworthy trials, she authored the appellate decision in the highly publicized "Baby M Case," which impacted public policy on surrogate parenting.

Julie retired from the bench in 1992 when she and Bill moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico. She became a passionate supporter and ultimately served as President of the Board for Cornerstones, a non-profit dedicated to preserving the architectural heritage and cultural traditions of New Mexico and the greater Southwest. They traveled extensively throughout their marriage, delighting in experiencing the living history and cultures around the world. In 2013, they moved to Ashland, Oregon to be closer to two of their three daughters.

In addition to Bill, Julie is survived by her daughters, Julia Ashbey-Pejoves, Katharine VanDyke Ashbey and Anne Avery Ashbey, son-in-law George Pejoves, seven grandchildren, and three great grandchildren (plus one on the way).

Julie's ashes will be interred in the Lower Mystic Cemetery in Mystic, Connecticut, surrounded by many generations of east coast ancestors. A celebration of Julie's life will be announced. In lieu of flowers, gifts in her honor may be made to Cornerstones Community Partnerships (cstones.org).