Nancy Judson

Nancy Anne Judson
September 23, 1937 – October 26, 2023

In the early morning hours of October 26, 2023, Nancy Anne (Hansen) Judson, age 86, completed her mission in mortality and graduated to the next stage of her eternal existence. Her last days on earth were filled with the sounds of family laughter and love, gentle caresses and kisses, and the assurance that she is and will always be our cherished mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, mother-in-law, aunt, and friend. As a woman of great faith, which she instilled in her posterity, we have no doubt her journey to the world of spirits was sweet, and marked with joyous embraces from her dear husband, parents, brother, extended family, and by her Heavenly Parents and her Savior Jesus Christ, He to whom she dedicated her life.

Nancy was born September 23, 1937, in Denver, Colorado, to Ivan J and Eleanor (Cameron) Hansen. Following the difficult birth of her brother and only sibling, Ivan Eugene “Gene” Hansen, over five years earlier, doctors warned her parents not to have any more children. But trusting God, her mother ventured to the very doors of eternity to give life to their little girl. Born prematurely, Nancy weighed just over three pounds at birth but with skill and care, and the power of faith, was soon blessed to come home to her adoring family.

As a young girl her family moved to Whittier, California where her father pursued a new career and her mother stayed home to nurture and train their children as upstanding citizens and dedicated disciples. Here Nancy made life-long friends and gained her primary and secondary education, graduating in 1955 from Whittier High School. Here too, she developed the skills to one day manage her own home and family, along with athletic abilities in tennis and her extraordinary talents as a musician.

Piano and organ were her specialties, and she used these talents throughout her life to enrich the lives of countless thousands. Beginning as a teen in her Whittier congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and continuing in every LDS ward of which she was a member until well past her 80th birthday, Nancy provided the organ music that set the spiritual tone so essential to worship. She also accompanied innumerable choirs and other vocal performances, played for scores of funeral services, and taught generations of piano students. Among her children’s fondest memories are those of drifting off to sleep night after night to the sound of her gentle piano.

While a student at Brigham Young University, Nancy met and dated Herbert Sidney “Sid” Judson, Jr. They married on January 31, 1958, in the Los Angeles LDS Temple and made their home in Northern California near Sid’s family, with stops in Merced, Fairfax, and eventually Santa Rosa, where they resided for some 15 years. Together they created a loving, supportive, and spiritual home environment despite economic hardship, devastating business failure, illness, senior caregiving, and the day-to-day challenges of raising and providing for seven children. Through their more than 30 years of marriage, they endured the ups and downs and economic uncertainty of the construction business but maintained an optimistic outlook throughout. Rarely did they have more than they needed, yet they were generous to friends and strangers alike, frequently offering their home, food, and a sense of belonging to the lonely, aged, displaced, and disadvantaged.

In August 1978 Sid and Nancy acted on a bold decision to relocate their family to Orem, Utah where they became fast friends with many new acquaintances. Always a faithful and active member of her church, Nancy served in many callings during her life, including as a teacher in Primary, Sunday School, Young Women, and Relief Society, and as president of her ward Relief Society. Later she served as organist and as an ordinance worker in the Mount Timpanogos Temple. It was while living in Orem that Nancy received a call to serve as stake Relief Society president, a calling she shouldered with the grace and spirituality she has exhibited throughout her life.

In August 1989 Nancy faced one of life’s greatest challenges with the passing of her beloved Sid due to a construction accident. His sudden death amid raising three teenagers and providing primary care for our aging grandmothers created incomprehensible hardships. But trusting God and relying on a network of dedicated family and friends, she somehow managed to make her way for several years. Always resourceful, in this period she acquired and learned to use a computer and received training in medical transcription to supplement her income.

After both grandmothers whom she adored and lovingly cared for passed away, and her children were grown, Nancy moved to her most recent address in American Fork, Utah where she shared a home with her dear brother Gene, who also was widowed. During this time, she enjoyed his wonderful companionship and found great happiness being with him until his passing in 2013.

Nancy was a talented cook and seamstress and involved herself in innumerable crafts and food preservation projects, often involving her children. For many years at Christmastime, she created intricate gingerbread houses which she gave to friends and family. She loved Easter, Thanksgiving, and especially Christmas when she would tastefully adorn her home with welcoming displays of holiday décor. On such occasions her holiday tables were always especially wonderful, overflowing with delicious food and decorated down to the individual name plates she would hand-write for every guest.

She was fiercely loyal to and protective of her family, taught each of her children to work and develop their talents, and daily demonstrated the importance of kindness and service, often putting others’ needs ahead of her own. She, like her father, was also a talented writer who wrote many thoughtful letters to her children and penned a lengthy biography of her late husband in the months following his death. Her yearly birthday cards have been a highlight for her numerous descendants and many nieces and nephews. She also created treasured photo albums and individual family history books for her children to preserve family memories.

She loved cleanliness and always kept her home in visitor-ready condition. And she was proper, avoiding crass or inappropriate language and always setting an example of modesty and respectability. Her last years have been marked with frequent visits from family and friends, temple service, and correspondence with dear friends.

Nancy was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brother, and numerous uncles, aunts, and cousins. She is survived by her children Cynthia Kay Anderson, Mark Eric Judson (Patti), Michael Ivan Judson (Debbie), Julie Anne Deuel, Patricia Lynn Jensen (Jeffrey), Ronald Edward Judson (Siri-Anne), and Ryan Sidney Judson (Natalie), by 39 grandchildren, and by 36 great-grandchildren (and counting!).

After her years of tireless and heroic caregiving it has been our privilege as her family to give back to her these past few years. We are indebted to extended family and friends who enriched her later years, to so many in the American Fork 14th Ward who have befriended her, and to countless skilled workers in the many medical establishments she relied on as her health declined.

Above all, we, her posterity are grateful for her lifelong example of love, service, and devotion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because of her tireless efforts she has instilled in each of her children a sure belief that we will one day be reunited with her and our father, dear family and friends, and generations of beloved ancestors.

Funeral services for Nancy will be held Monday, November 6, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at the American Fork 14th Ward chapel, 384 North County Blvd. (1100 East), American Fork, Utah. Visitations will be held Sunday evening, November 5, from 6:00-8:00 p.m., and Monday, November 6, from 9:30-10:30 a.m., also in the American Fork 14th Ward chapel. She will be interred with her eternal companion, Sid, in the Orem City Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to help defray the costs of family traveling to the funeral from overseas. If you are so inclined, kindly send any contributions to Tricia Jensen via Venmo (@Tricia-Jensen-8).