Judith Nadai

Judith Beal Nadai Died peacefully in her San Francisco home on April 19 at age 87. Beloved mother to Cynthia and her partner Roslyn of Sydney, Australia and Christopher and his wife Dinny of Essex MA. Devoted grandmother to Elizabeth, Morgan and William. She is also survived by her brother Thomas Beal and his wife Barbara of Lincoln MA, and their four children and their families - Jennifer, Thomas, Penelope and Alexander. Judy was a loving mother, grandmother and sister and confidante to many young and old friends who found her warm spirit, wise counsel, and sharp wit an irresistible combination. She was born on October 2, 1923, the older of two children of Thomas Prince Beal and May Morgan Beal of Chestnut Hill, near Boston. She attended the Chestnut Hill School, The Winsor School, The Masters School and graduated from Vassar College in 1945 as a Chemistry major. In 1950, at age 27, she left her family and friends and a promising public relations job at the New England Council and took an adventurous train trip to San Francisco. Captivated by the beauty of the Bay Area, Judy stayed in San Francisco. She continued to work in public relations for the Bay Area Council and in 1953 married Herbert T. Nadai, a Hungarian entrepreneur. Together they built a company that delivered soft goods to supermarket chains called Super Market Sales. Judy's passion for community service and for helping those less fortunate, particularly teens, was evident in her work with Bothin Youth Center (Chairman 1974-1980), Cathedral School for Boys, and Edgewood (most recently Director Emeritus since 2000). Judy's interest in conservation and the environment and in connecting young people to the land found a perfect partner in the Student Conservation Association (SCA), a national organization with a strong Bay Area presence. She gave many years of service to the SCA (including Chairman of the Board from 1981 to 1986) and her work with the SCA led her to be a founding member and strong supporter of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. As a Presidio neighbor, she was keenly interested in the Presidio's transformation from a military base into a national park. Judy also served on the Trust for Public Land's (TPL) National Leadership Council. In 1996 Judy received the Chevron-Times Mirror Magazines Conservation Award (the nation's oldest conservation award) for her work protecting and enhancing the natural environment. Judy was a member of the Colonial Dames of America, the Town and Country Club and the Metropolitan Club. Judy and her family are enormously appreciative of the outstanding care provided by her caregivers, Adrianna and Terry. A memorial service will be held at 4 o'clock on Saturday, May 14 at St. Mary the Virgin Episcopal Church, 2325 Union Street, San Francisco. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages contributions in Judy's honor to the Student Conservation Association, P.O. Box 550, Charlestown, NH 03603.