Judy Kay Anderson

Judy was born on December 22, 1941, in Effingham, Illinois, to Michael Edmund McCarty and Kathryn (Wilson) McCarty. Her father worked in the oil and gas business and later managed the family's Phillips 66 operation, and the family moved several times during Judy's childhood before settling in Benton, Illinois. There, she attended Benton Consolidated High School, was voted the homecoming queen, and graduated as valedictorian of her class in June 1959.

Judy went on to attend the University of Illinois for two years. In the fall of 1961, she met Craig Anderson, a young pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, after a Labor Day doubleheader in St. Louis. When Craig visited her hometown of Benton not long after, he met her parents and her extended family, including her cousin Doug Collins, then a fifth grader who would later become an NBA All-Star with the Philadelphia 76ers. After a courtship of just forty-four days, Judy and Craig were married on October 14, 1961. Two days before the wedding, Craig had been selected by the New York Mets in the 1961 expansion draft, and the newlyweds honeymooned in Puerto Rico, where Craig pitched winter ball for Santurce alongside future Hall of Famer Bob Gibson and Juan Pizarro.

Judy supported Craig through his major league career with the Mets and through several seasons in the minor leagues, including stops in Buffalo, Indianapolis, Williamsport, and Jacksonville. At the close of the 1966 season, Craig accepted a position with Lehigh University, beginning a thirty-four-year career there, and the couple settled in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where they raised their two children, Michael and Jill. Judy became a familiar and beloved presence to generations of Lehigh baseball players during Craig's more than three decades as pitching coach, and she brought that same enthusiasm to her own children's pursuits. Michael, coached by his father, played Little League and American Legion baseball, and Judy's devotion to her son and to the sport earned her recognition as Little League Woman of the Year. Michael went on to be drafted and signed by the Texas Rangers, pitching three years in their system and reaching High A.

Judy was a lifelong learner in her own right. She earned her bachelor's degree from Southern Illinois University and a master's degree from Lehigh University, and her passion for education and for new experiences always inspired her daughter, Jill. An avid reader, Judy helped lead the expansion of the Bethlehem area public library system into Hellertown, supported Greek life at Lafayette College, and remained devoted to her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, throughout her life. The family often traveled together to national parks across the United States, as the children grew up. These experiences set the stage for adventures with her grandchildren throughout their retirement, including many trips with Jill and her son, Jacob, to Alaska, Hawaii, and California, and parks throughout the Southwest.

After Craig retired from Lehigh in 2000, the couple sold their home, bought a motor home, and spent three years traveling the country together, from Alaska to Florida and from Maine to California. In the spring of 2003, they settled in Dunnellon, Florida, the home Judy loved for the rest of her life. Retirement brought new adventures, including cruises to Europe and visits with friends and Craig's former teammates across the country. Closer to home, Judy found joy in quilting, in British television, and in documentaries about World War II, a subject that held deep and personal meaning for her.

That meaning traced back to her mother's family. Four of Judy's uncles served in World War II: Brigadier General Russell Wilson, who was killed in a bombing raid over Berlin; Colonel Jack Wilson, who died in the South Pacific; Captain Ronald Wilson, who survived a kamikaze attack off Okinawa; and Air Cadet Lowell Wilson, who died in a training accident in Texas. In honor of their sacrifice, Judy became her family's devoted historian and archivist and, later in life, a charter member of the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. Continuing her mother's own membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution, Judy belonged to the Captain William Penny Chapter, NSDAR, in Chatham, Illinois. She researched the genealogy of both her own family and Craig's, and became the trusted keeper of the histories and accomplishments each side of the family wanted remembered.

Judy and Craig shared a lifelong love of thoroughbred racing and spent many happy days with friends at Tampa Bay Downs. They were devoted Tampa Bay Rays fans as well, and found a way to watch nearly every game, wherever they happened to be. Judy also had a special love for dogs, rescuing many over the years, and she supported Skydog Ranch and Sanctuary, a refuge for rescued wild mustangs and burros.

Judy is survived by her husband of nearly sixty-five years, Craig Anderson, of Dunnellon, Florida; her son, Michael Anderson, and his wife, Lori, of Alburtis, Pennsylvania; her daughter, Jill Anderson, and her husband, Sal Sarwar, of Orefield, Pennsylvania; and her grandchildren, Jacob Anderson Donmoyer, Carly Anderson, and Isabella (Anderson) Andrews and her husband, Trevor.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Judy's memory to the National WWII Museum, 945 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130, or by phone at 504-528-1944 x 786, or to Skydog Ranch and Sanctuary, at www.skydogranch.org/donate.