With the light of the setting sun shining on her face, in the evening of a perfect autumn day, at home and surrounded by friends and family, Judy Marie Brown of Glenford, Ohio passed away peacefully on the 3rd of October 2025, at the age of 68. Far too soon, for those of us she left behind, but she would tell you she lived a blessed life, full of the love of her family and friends, and the love of her Savior. A life of laughter and grace even through great hardship, for Judy saw the good in all things. She had an easy smile that came from her mighty heart, a quick and infectious laugh, a remarkable poise and gentle nature. She saw life not simply through rose colored glasses, but through the lens of a rose gold soul. Yet underneath that, she possessed an unconquerable determination and extraordinary strength of character to endure the weight of impossible burdens, bolstered by a steadfast and unwavering faith and dedication to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. On June 14, 1957, God saw fit to bless this world with one of His finest creations when He brought Judy into this world. She was born to the late Don and Polly Wineman, the first of four daughters. Many times we have heard her declare that she had a near perfect childhood, growing up on the farm, a similar age with many cousins on both sides of her family, surrounded and nurtured by extraordinary people, of whom she was so proud, and whose stories she loved to share all the days of her life. She was her high school class Valedictorian, and went on to study Music at Asbury University, later pursuing her Master’s at the University of Cincinnati in Music History. Beyond school, she taught piano for a number of years and performed in church, but more people by far would hear her play a rare instrument, a steam calliope, in both county fairs and parades in Ohio and surrounding states for more than 25 years. She hired on at Newark Air Force Base as a summer job when college was not in session and would end up serving a distinguished career of 40 years in Federal Service, where she was known for her extraordinary work ethic, quiet kindness and stellar performance, retiring as a GS-14 in Human Resources for the Defense Logistics Agency in Columbus. Judy had a special gift for making things grow. Much of her free hours in the summers were spent either in her flower beds or her vegetable garden, and the late summer and fall would be spent canning, a tradition which connected her to her mother and grandmother, and which she passed on to her children. She enjoyed antiques, and a shop filled to the brim with relics of times gone by or at a dusty old farm auction with a similar selection was to her a special event, as long as it included some family or close friends to share the hunt for treasures with her. Judy enjoyed playing the piano, was skilled in many creative arts and crafts, and enjoyed playing cards or socializing with friends on a regular basis. Her favorite times were those spent in the company of family and friends at annual reunions, cookouts, and vacations. Perhaps her greatest achievement was found in her life’s harshest trial, when in June of 2000 her husband Mark would suffer a traumatic brain injury, leaving him permanently and severely disabled. Judy never complained, and with unparalleled and unfathomable patience and faithfulness she simply shouldered the nearly impossible burden of rehabilitating and caring for the love of her life and somehow still managed to be the world’s greatest Mom to her three children, all of whom she was immensely proud of. She is survived by her husband of 44 years, Mark Brown, and her three children, Jason (Amanda) Brown, Jeremy (Cherice) Brown, and Jeanette Brown, each of whom she dedicated her life to. She is also survived by two grandchildren, Amelia and Harrison, three sisters, Bobbi (Ray) Johnson, Traci (Robert) Erion, and Lisa (Frank) Renna, and a Godson in Ross (Brittany) Peters. Judy and Mark hosted an annual cookout together with their friends and family every second Saturday in October, which this year falls on the 11th. Instead of that cookout, this year a Celebration of Life will be held at New Life Christian Center in Lancaster, where she was a keystone member for more than 30 years, at 11:00 o’clock, where we will gather to commemorate what she meant to so many.