Judith Ann Zachary

Judith (Judi) Zachary of Pleasant Ridge passed away June 21st from dementia. She had a green burial at Clinton Grove Cemetery.

She is survived by her husband Thaddeus (Ted) Zachary. Children Holly Hazel and Angela Zachary. Sister Diana Cricks. Nephew Douglas and niece, Debbie. Grandchildren Zachary and Grace. 

Judi was a creative, bright soul who was passionate about her family, friends and expressed herself artistically through hand-crafting, teaching, and music.

She graduated from Wayne State University with a B.A in Education. She also pursued a Masters in Psychology. Ted and Judi met at Wayne in a speech effectiveness class and that is where their romance started.

Ted and Judi were married in 1969. They honeymooned in Harbor Beach, MI at their historical one-room school house they used as a cottage. They loved visiting in the summer and attended many community activities, concerts, and the local church where they made community and friends.

Out of college, Judi taught elementary students at St. Anselm, Immaculate Heart of Mary and public schools in Detroit.  She also taught adults English as a second language and loved her students and learning about their cultures. She was a proud pioneer by being the first woman driver of a Good Humor ice cream truck. She also was an entrepreneur and started Safety Bear, which was a sexual abuse prevention education program for children.

After teaching in schools, Judi continued to teach children in Sunday school, and vacation bible school and she especially loved introducing children to her love of creativity through her puppets and storytelling. She was an active member of the Detroit Puppet Guild for years and served as their president for two years.

Her house was a craft haven, filled with every imaginable item you could make into a puppet or anything crafty. She loved to create, whether it be a pop-up card, doodle, ceramics, painting, sewing her daughter’s wedding dress which won first prize in the Michigan State Fair, or an Elvis costume for her husband, Judi was always creating. Family members and friends loved receiving her homemade birthday and holiday cards.

Judi’s love of the arts also included her love of music. Singing, harmonizing with her Mom, whistling, dancing, or playing instruments. She was self-taught on the keyboard, guitar, and ukulele and could pick out any tune to entertain family and friends. She and Ted delighted in calling people and singing happy birthday to them on their special day.

Judi loved people. She loved meeting new people. She would easily start a conversation with a stranger and wanted to hear their story. She was an empathetic listener and would always put a smile on anyone’s face who met her. She was a  fantastic storyteller, made people laugh and people always felt welcomed in her presence.

To Judi, family was of utmost importance. She had an endless supply of love and attention, especially for her daughters, her grandchildren, sister, niece and nephew. Always generous with her time and attention and made them feel loved and special. Her appreciation for her husband Ted was unparalleled. They had many laughs and adventures and together created a foundation of love for their family and community. 

A service for Judi is planned for Saturday July 29th 11 am , with lunch to follow at Cana Lutheran Church 2119 Catalpa Dr. Berkley, Mi. 48072 Please reach out to Ted Zachary for details.