Lee, Judith K. “Judy” (nee Willis), age 81 of Brookville, passed away at Miami
Valley Hospital on March 29th, 2024; she now rests in peace after a lengthy bout
with cancer. Judy was born on August 20th, 1942 in Dayton. She graduated from
Belmont High School in 1960. She was an employee of Dayton Power and Light
for over 35 years, retiring in 1999. Judy was a non-denominational Protestant who
was not a member of any church at the time of her death. She was not lacking in
faith, but faith was something that was very personal to her.
Judy was an exemplary individual who was known for her kindness, warmth and
patience; these words are often overused to describe those who have passed away,
but she truly was a blessing to anyone who knew her in any capacity. She often
put the well-being of others far ahead of her own happiness. She worked tirelessly
on the upkeep of her home prior to the onset of physical impairments and,
ultimately, cancer. She was the type of person who had difficulty asking anyone
for any kind of help since she didn't want to impose on anyone. This pained her
greatly in the final 8 years of her life when she had limited mobility and could no
longer operate an automobile. Judy rarely complained about the troubles she faced
during her life, and she avoided drawing attention to herself. She, due to
circumstances that were far beyond her control, ended up with somewhat
expensive possessions such as automobiles and the like at times; this was
embarrassing to her, as it was hard for her to reconcile things of this nature with
her personality since she didn't care about material things and much preferred the
simple joys in life. She loved animals a great deal during the entirety of her life,
and this, along with a desire for a quieter life, was reflected by her preference of
living in the country as opposed to the suburbs or the city. Judy had, at one time
or another, 10 German Shepherds and 2 horses over the course of her lifetime.
Her dedication as a mother to her son was by far her greatest priority in life.
Judy was preceded in death by her parents Robert and Elsie Willis, her nephew
Thomas “Tommy” Haberstro, and a number of extended family members and
close friends. She is survived by her son William “Bill” Lee of Brookville and
Ghost, their German Shepherd. She is also survived by her older sister Sue
Haberstro of Centerville and her younger brother Robert Willis (Julene “Jo”
Powers) of Centerville; nephew Timothy “Tim” Haberstro of Centerville, and
niece Susan Hughes (nee Haberstro, husband Michael “Shane”) of Powell; and
great-nephews Mitchell and Griffin Hughes and great-niece Katie Hughes. She
would have also wanted to acknowledge her remaining surviving extended family
and numerous friends who meant a great deal to her. There will be private funeral services for her family.
Judy will be buried at Woodland Historic Cemetery & Arboretum.
In Lieu of Flowers, please consider a donation in Judy's name to Southern Ohio Shepherds-Rescue and Sanctuary 3316 Big Run Road Lucasville, OH. 45648
or
PayPal.me/sosgsdrescue
or
Venmo: @sosgsdrescue
(a 501 (C)3 organization where donations are tax deductible)