Judith A. Parish

LESLIE — Our dear loving Mother, grandmother and sister, Judy, known as "Nammy" to her little grandchildren, went to be with the Lord on May 21, 2008, after a battle with ovarian cancer. She was born Jan. 29, 1941, in Lansing. She was a life-long resident of Michigan.

Judy and her former husband, Lyle Parish, resided in Lansing until the 1960s, then moved the family north where they raised their children in Traverse City.

She worked for over 25 years with the State. Judy's employment with the State of Michigan took her from Traverse City to Grand Rapids, Saline, the Jackson area and Gaylord.

After retiring from the Department of Corrections in 1998, she bought a home in Leslie in 1999.

Judy had volunteered for various organizations and causes in nearly every community she lived.

She has four children, Karen (Rod) Foster of Whittaker, Karolyn (Tom) Holden of Ludington, Kendra (Fredrik) Holmback of Leslie and Kyle Parish of Manistee; and eight grandchildren, James, Jerod, Kevin, Christian, Shania, Angelina, and most recent twins, Skye and Lake.

She is survived by seven brothers and three sisters, Don (Karen) Ellison, Phyllis Rutledge, Ken (Mary) Ellison, Rod (Sue) Ellison, Nancy (Al) Ott, Tom (Julie) Ellison, Pat Lund, Roger (Lou) Ellison, Bob Ellison and Mickey Ellison. Judy's beloved cat, Freckles, brought her comfort and laughter during the years together.

Judy was a devoted mother and grandmother. She found great joy in the time she spent with her family, friends and neighbors. She also found pleasure in sewing and gardening, and was an avid bird watcher. Her giving, caring spirit, along with her wonderful sense of humor endeared her to all she met. Judy will never be forgotten as she takes her walk into Heaven with Jesus.

Funeral services will be held at the Leslie Faith Assembly of God on Saturday, May 24, 2008, at 1 p.m., with Pastor Sam Steadman officiating. Interment will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the J.C. Adams Funeral Home, Leslie Chapel, on Friday from 5 to 8 p.m.

The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Judy's sisters, Phyllis, Nancy and Patricia for their roles as loving care-givers. Special appreciation to Pastor Sam Steadman and his wife, Debbie, for their loving support.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Faith Assembly of God Church, 4020 N. Main St., Leslie, MI 49251.

This obituary was originally published in the Record-Eagle.