Judith Harlow

Brewer
Judith Weeks Harlow, 81, passed away October 24, 2015, at home in Brewer, after a seven year struggle with liver cancer.
She was born October 12, 1934, in Cambridge, M.A., daughter of Willis J. Weeks and Dorothy Small. She resided in Cape Elizabeth and Lowell, M.A., before coming to Bangor where she graduated from Bangor High School in the class of 1952. She went on to graduate from Westbrook Junior College and received her baccalaureate degree from Lesley College in Cambridge, M.A.
Judy began a 25 year teaching career in Washington, D.C., and also taught in Hawaii before returning to Maine where she taught in schools in Winterport and Bangor. Her most enjoyable years were spent teaching kindergarten, particularly at the Fruit Street school. She and her classroom were selected for the placement of the first HIV positive student to be enrolled in the Bangor public school system, a very sensitive issue at the time. Over the years she also was selected by the University of Maine to monitor in her classroom more than a dozen student teachers in the elementary education curriculum.
Judy was especially proud for being selected to speak at the University of Maine reading Conference, the New England Reading Conference in Portland and also a reading conference in Windham. She retired in 2000 but had continued her interest in her children as they progressed through the school system and beyond. They and their families were especially important to her.
An outdoor person growing up, Judy spent many days in winter skiing at various resorts in Maine and New Hampshire and summers leading various groups on mountain hikes. She hiked up Mt. Katahdin countless times. For more than 40 years she spent summers at her camp on Branch Lake where she taught neighbor children how to swim.
Among her many passions were antiques, decorating and knitting. She loved being a “drama queen” and belonged at various times to the Patawa Club, antique study group, Delta Kappa Gamma teachers association, Delta Chi Omega drama society, Bangor Education Association, and was one of the founders of the Merri Hatters, a Red Hat Society group. She was a covenant member of All Souls Congregational Church.
Judy is survived by her husband, Leonard N. Harlow of Brewer; four daughters, Dana and husband David Morris of Bangor, Stacey Billington of Brewer, Kristin and husband Edward Fournier of Auburn, and Darby and husband Bruce Thomas of Bedford, N.H. She also leaves grandchildren, Dylan, Anna, Grace and Lily Morris, Ben, Sam and Mark Thomas, Erin and Isaac Fournier. She also loved as her own, Len’s daughters, Debbie Watson of Hermon and Laurie Allgaier of Dale City, VA., as well as his five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Thursday, October 29, 2015 at All Souls Congregational Church, 10 Broadway, Bangor, with the Rev. Renee U. Garrett, M. Div., minister of christian nurture, officiating. A reception will be held in the church vestry, immediately following the service Thursday. Those who wish may make gifts in her memory to the memorial fund of All Souls Congregational Church.
Condolences to the family may be expressed at www.BrookingsSmith.com.