Barbara Lucille Ash Judd

Barbara Lucille Ash Judd, age 79, passed away at her Wasilla home after returning from 11 months of hospitalization in Anchorage, Alaska. Barbara lived her last four days within sight of her flower gardens and family. Her greatest desire was to return home for her passing. Grace had its way!

Barbara and her brother, Charles William Ash, were raised in Oakland and Castro Valley, California, and graduated from Hayward High in Hayward California. On June 29, 1956, eight days after her fiancé, Don Lynn Judd, was discharged from military service in Japan and Korea, they were married at Barbara’s parents, Robert and Mildred Ash’s, home in Castro Valley, California. Both Barbara and Don entered college in August of 1956 and subsequently graduated while also raising a family of four children – Robin Lynn, Jeffery Kermit, Robert Paul, and Steven Scott.

After five years of teaching in California, Barbara and her family drove north in 1966 to Alaska for a career with the Anchorage School District. Barbara was a teacher at Denali Elementary School and later trained in Library Science to become the Librarian at Abbot Loop Elementary and later Spring Hill Elementary School. She was an expert in Children’s Literature and became a teacher of teachers in that field. Barbara was a person of faith, honesty, pure humility, strength of character, generous and pure love and devotion to her family.

Her family continues to live in Alaska in Anchorage, Wasilla, and Fairbanks. Several of the eight grandchildren and four of seven great grandchildren live outside of Alaska. In Wasilla, during the last eight years, Barbara volunteered at the front desk of the Mat-Su Food Banks where she contributed greatly to the programs of that organization. Barbara and family attended the St. John’s Methodist Church on O’Malley Road for years where great memories of family participation were a part of her life.

While no funeral service occurred, Barbara’s ashes will become part of eternity here in the beauty of Alaska, her home. A Celebration of Life to include all who knew Barbara will occur at 4 p.m. Aug. 26, 2017, at Don and Barbara’s home in Wasilla, Alaska.