Judith "Judy" Margaret Ellison was born August 31, 1941, in Chicago, and died peacefully in Fairfax, Virginia on September 19, 2023. She studied education at the University of Illinois, where she met her husband John, and the two were married for 59 years.

Judy spent her life devoted to her family, first as an Army wife and later raising their two children, never missing a game, concert, or activity. Despite a busy schedule, she made time for a passion for bridge, volunteered at the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum, and was a devoted fan of Washington's professional football and hockey teams as well as University of Virginia and James Madison University sports. She was also a voracious reader, getting through two or three books a week.

Friends and family remembered her as a quiet, dignified, and gentle presence who was equally at home cheering at a game or curled up with a book.

She is survived by her husband John, their daughter Vicki Kellum and her husband Bill, their son Dan Ellison and his wife Kristi, and five grandchildren.