HAMPDEN
Judith M. (James) Smith-Valley, 78, died unexpectedly November 16, 2021, at Mid Coast Hospital, Brunswick, Maine. She was born January 27, 1943, in Cleveland, Ohio, the daughter of Raymond F. and Imogene (Bryan) James.
Judy graduated from North Royalton High School, Class of 1960. After graduation, she worked as a bookkeeper for SOHIO and took night courses at Fenn College. She met Terry E. Valley during this time, and they married in March 1963. They had 3 children and settled in Lakewood, Ohio. They loved camping, clam bakes and family picnics. They were married for 15 years. Terry introduced her to the West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church in Rocky River, Ohio where his family were charter members, and it was here as a young widow and mother of 3 that she began working within the denomination. She worked in the Religious Education department and had various grief support roles in the community but found the time to go back to school and work on her college degree. After 21 years, she earned her degree from Thomas Edison College in 1982. It was during this time that she met Paul Smith, and they married in May 1983. This was when the Smith-Valley family formed. They moved to Melrose, MA. She continued to work in various churches while she continued her education, receiving her Master of Divinity from Harvard in 1988.
Judy’s new journey in Parish Ministry brought her Charleston, WV. She and Paul immersed themselves in the community for 5 years until the pull of New England was too powerful to resist. They found their way to Kennebunk, ME where she was the parish minister at First Parish Church, Kennebunk for 8 years. While there she attended Bangor Theological Seminary, Portland and completed her Doctor of Ministry in 2001. After that she continued to serve the denomination as a District Executive of Maine and then onto Interim ministry. She served churches in Haverhill MA, Brewster MA, Swampscott, MA, East Greenwich RI, Keene NH and Plymouth, NH. She retired in 2016 after a long and loved career and was ready for her next phase of life. She was a member of numerous societies, clubs, and groups, but her favorite title was Grandma.
In retirement she fully turned her focus to her passions of quilting, stitching, and creating. She learned to sew from her Aunt Idie as a child and never lost that skill. Christmas, birthday, and graduation gifts were always hand crafted from Grandma with love. After losing Paul, the ever-independent woman, down-sized and relocated in 2019 to Hampden ME, to be closer to family and gain ample space for her to stitch! Her quilt groups brought her great joy, even during COVID when they figured out how to zoom with each other.
Butterflies, peaceful ocean waves, afternoons visiting on the front porch, well-seasoned fabric, quilting catalogs, DQ blizzards, great mysteries to read, Snap Chats from her beloved family and phone calls checking in were some of her most cherished things. In addition to her parents, Judy was predeceased by her husbands, Terry Valley (1978) and Paul Smith-Valley (2017).
Judy is survived by her children: son, Glenn Valley and his wife Heidi, of Bahama, NC; daughter, Libby Valley Cirillo and her husband Tony, of North Kingstown, RI; daughter, Susan Woodilla and her husband, Tad of Hermon, ME; son, Richard Smith and his wife, Barbara Dill of Norwood, NJ; grandchildren – Laura (Jon) Conway, Alison Valley, Amanda, Connor, Matthew, and Trevor Cirillo, Katie and Emily Woodilla, Dillon, Chelsea, and Aiden Smith; and great granddaughter Jackie; sister, Charlea Coterel of O’Fallon, Missouri; plus many nieces, nephews, friends and family who filled her heart with joy. A special thank you to the ED and ICU departments of Mid Coast Hospital, your skill, compassion, and kindness was a gift.
A celebration of life will be held in early 2022. Those who wish to remember Judy in a special way may make gifts in her memory to the UUSC (donate.uusc.org) or to Project Linus (www.projectlinus.org). Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com
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