Judy Cody

1940 - 2025

Judy Cody
Judith R.Cody, 85, of Wallingford, CT, passed away on October 15, 2025 at Masonicare Health Center from complications stemming from ovarian cancer.
She was born in Portland, Maine, March 10, 1940. Her parents moved the family to Vermont in 1953. Judy graduated from Rutland, VT High School ('58) then received her Bachelors degree in speech therapy from Boston University ('62). Soon she earned her Master's degree in education, in Special Ed ('67).
Her first teaching job was in New Haven, CT. That must have sealed her fate, for Connecticut became the state she called Home and where she developed her career as a special ed teacher and consummate educator. Judy retired in 1999 after many years at Green Acres Elementary in North Haven.
Ms. Cody poured herself into her profession from her first classroom assignment to post-contract substituting to her last meeting on the board of The ARC in May this spring. She created a life around school children, mentoring new teachers and giving more than a minute to potential candidates, developing lifelong friendships within the system, and becoming an effective state and national leader in Delta Kappa Gamma (a national society for women educators). She loved the Secret Santa swaps at Green Acres each December. And in the interest of letting off steam and socializing with her Monday through Friday school pals, she organized Friday night happy hours with willing teachers and administrators, rarely missing even one.
Judy Cody was preceded in death by two educator parents: her father, Maynard Robinson (1979) and her mother, Dorotha (Dot) Robinson (2004); her dedicated, loving husband, William (Bill) Cody (1996); Bill's son, Michael Cody (2022); and grand-daughter, Sara Edgerton (2021).
She is survived by an only sibling, a former teacher, Mary Lou Robinson of So. Burlington, VT; also Peg Shaw, Mary Edgerton, Kitty Pilloise, and Dan Cody, all children of Bill Cody; a nephew of Bill's, Ken Cody; and seven grandchildren. Judy also had a nephew, John Roleau, of VT, a niece, Elisabeth Estey, of VT, and a nephew, Amos L. Roleau IV , of CT; five grand-nieces and nephews all in VT; and four cousins (CA, MA, and FL).
A celebration of life will be held on Monday, November 17 at 2:00 at Ashlar Village in Wallingford. Judy volunteered generously at Ashlar, from greeting new residents to serving as secretary on the on the Board of Directors.
Donations in Ms. Cody's name may be made to The ARC of Greater New Haven, 109 Sanford St., Hamden, CT 06514 or through their website:
www.arcgnhdot.org. Donations in Judy's name may also be made to DKG Zeta Chapter (for Zeta Memorial Grant, recognizing H.S. seniors who are potential educators) c/o Zeta Treasurer, 46 Mulberry Hill St., Hamden CT 06517.