Obituary of Judith Schroeder

Judith “Judy” Anne Bell Schroeder

 

On July 12, 1948, Walter and Gladys Bell welcomed into the world their daughter, Judith "Judy" Anne Bell.  She was born prematurely and was the size of her father's hand.  Having lost two sons already to premature birth, Judy was not expected to live and was sent home to die.  Through the grace of God, she survived and was much loved by her parents.

 

As a child, Judy was precocious and a bit of an adventurer. Growing up she lived just off Lincoln Avenue in Colonie, NY where she enjoyed playing in the swamp by, what is now, Ridge Terrace and swimming in the pond in Cook Park.  As a teenager she enjoyed listening to music…particularly the Dave Clark Five.  She graduated Mercy High School in 1966. 

 

Immediately following graduation, Judy began working for New York Bell Telephone as an Operator.  In February 1967, Judy accepted a job with Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation (NiMo) as an Office Messenger.  It was while working with NiMo that she met the man who would become her husband and best friend, Roger Schroeder.  They married June 6, 1970 and had 3 daughters.

 

It was in 1986 that Judy met her next great challenge.  Diagnosed with throat cancer, she underwent chemotherapy, a radical neck surgery, and then radiation.  At this point in time, the chemo and radiation were quite strong and made her very sick.  Through it all, she remained incredibly strong and devoted to her family.  She even managed to take her children to an amusement park in-between treatment. Praise God, the cancer was cured and she was able to continue raising her children and be a wife to her husband.

 

In December 1996, in appreciation of Judy’s interest in all things Civil War, she and Roger took a vacation to Charleston, SC. While on vacation, they decided the Charleston area would become their forever home.  In April 1997, Judy moved to North Charleston and Roger followed shortly after selling their home in Niskayuna, NY.  To pass the time before Roger officially moved to South Carolina, Judy began working at Magnolia Plantation.  She enjoyed this job immensely because she loved interacting with people and, of course, talking about the Civil War. 

 

When Judy retired in 2000, she embarked on her next adventure as caretaker to all of her grandchildren, fondly calling them "my guys".  She was always willing to help care for them whenever needed.   Judy LOVED her daughters’ dogs also, no matter how much of a challenge they were.  In her spare time Judy loved caring for her lawn and garden, curling up with a good book on her porch, traveling and shopping with her daughters, walking on the beach collecting seashells, and adding to her extensive collection of anything “froggy”.

 

Unfortunately, Judy began getting recurring bouts of pneumonia and on October 3, 2014, after an emergency trip to the hospital, the doctors determined she could no longer have any food or drink by mouth.  Again, Judy rose to the challenge and had a feeding tube placed even though it meant that she could no longer have her Starbucks that she loved so much....although she was known to occasionally sneak a few sips eventually deciding that it was best to just put it through her tube.

On Saturday, November 10, Judy came down with influenza and pneumonia.  This was a battle that could not be won.  She was called home to the Lord on Wednesday, November 21, 2018, with her family at her side.  She will be greatly missed by her husband and best friend of 48.5 years, Roger, and her daughters Amy (Dieter) Drake (Colorado Springs, CO), Amanda (Andy) McNeal (Summerville, SC), and Wendy (Greg) Stefan (Lorain, OH); "her guys" Wyatt, Dagny, Liam, Levi, Eowyn, Thaddeus and Edyta Drake, Thomas Jaehn, Reese, Riordan, Cordelia, and Cuinn Stefan, her lifelong friend, Linda Uzzo (Albany, NY), and her beloved dog Oreo.

 

We ask that, in her memory, you watch Gone with the Wind, drink a cup of Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, and hug your loved ones.  In lieu of flowers, we ask donations be made in Judy’s name to the American Cancer Society https://donate3.cancer.org. 

 

Memorial Services honoring Judy for close family and friends will be held in June 2019 in Summerville, SC.  A definitive date will be announced in mid-2019.

Arrangements are being handled by Simplicity Lowcountry Cremation and Burial Services Summerville.

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