Judith "Judy" Marie Martin O'Brien

Judy O'Brien, age 88, passed away August 26, 2023 in Casa Grande, AZ, with family by her side. She was born in Kansas City, Missouri on September 27, 1934 to Jimmy Martin and Jalie (Lindsey) Martin.

She graduated from Raton High School in Raton, NM. Her parents owned fishing cabins at Eagle Nest Lake, NM. She pumped gasoline, sold fishing worms and cleaned cabins to earn money for college, which she attended at Highlands University in Las Vegas, NM. She majored in music but later changed her major to elementary education. Judy met her husband, Dick, at Highlands University and they were married January 1, 1954. After they were married, she continued to live in the dorms on campus and finished her degree, while Dick was in the U.S. Army overseas after World War II.

Their married life took them to Alamogordo, NM, where their three children were born, Neosho, MO, and to Casa Grande, AZ in 1969. Education was very important to Dick and Judy. Dick helped plan and was one of the original faculty members at Central Arizona College. Judy and her best friend Linda Garrett started the Kindergarten program for the Casa Grande Elementary School District. She laughed while telling people that she never graduated from Kindergarten. She taught at Evergreen School in Casa Grande for 25 years, loving and nurturing many small children.

Later in life Dick and Judy traveled in their small RV and had a small cabin in the village of Cimarron, NM where they would spend their summers. They took trips all over their home state of NM revisiting and remembering some of their most treasured memories. When their traveling days were over, Judy liked to read, cook and started quilting. She was always an accomplished seamstress, but quilting was new for her. She fell in love with the challenge and was thankful for her group of quilting friends.

Judy is preceded in death by her husband of 61 years Richard(Dick); her parents Jimmie and Jalie; and her brother Jimmie Jr. She is survived by her children Gary O'Brien, Jane Karolak(Doug), Ruth Schlittenhart(Arnie), five grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Judy loved and adored her family; they were everything to her. She will be greatly missed by all that loved and knew her. Her family would like to express their sincere thanks to the entire staff of Copper Sky Assisted Living for their kind, gentle and loving care where she spent her last days.

Dick and Judy were long-time members of the First Presbyterian Church of Casa Grande.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at the Casa Grande First Presbyterian Church, 702 E. Cottonwood Lane, Casa Grande, AZ.

Burial will be in the spring at Mountain View Cemetery in Cimarron, NM