Judy Kay Lewis

Judy Kay Lewis of Encino, California, passed away on September 13, 2015 at the age of 65 following a courageous battle with ALS. She was born on November 12, 1949 in Belvidere, Illinois to Warner and Edith Kimball.

Judy spent her early years in Argyle, Illinois as the sixth of seven children, and attended Argyle Grade School through 8th grade, which was across the street from the family home and where the total student population was never greater than 72 students. From there, Judy went on to attend Guilford High School for grades 9 & 10. Her family moved to California in 1964 where she completed high school, graduating from James Monroe High School in 1967.

It was during her high school years that she met Ricky Lewis, for all intents and purposes, the boy-next-door. After she graduated high school, they married on June 21, 1969. They were stationed in Tucson, Arizona while Rick was in the Air Force, but made their way back to California shortly after. Throughout her life, Judy loved to travel and was always up for spontaneous trips, often with no real destination in mind.

Judy's greatest desire in life was to become a mother, and after struggling to conceive for several years in the early years of her marriage, she welcomed five children between 1975 and 1983. She spent the rest of her life giving her heart and soul to provide for both her children and the eleven grandchildren that came along in the years following. If there was anything that rivaled her joy of being a mother, it was that of being a grandmother. It gave her tremendous happiness to be able to take numerous trips with many of her grandchildren, some which took her as far away as Hawaii and Florida.

She worked for Pacific Bell, which later became SBC, first as a telephone operator and then as a payment processor, for 35 years before her retirement in 2004. She was very actively involved in church and her children's schools. She served as President of the Parent Teacher Fellowship at Lindley Avenue Baptist when her 3 oldest children attended and directed several of the church's and school's musicals. A woman of great faith, she attended several churches during her life, even helping in planting a church in the early 2000s. Always a very giving woman with an extremely large heart for people, she was one who would volunteer to provide meals to those in need, and actively participated in several noble causes. She participated in the Avon 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk in 1999, and served as a volunteer for the walk in the years before and after.

Judy is survived by her loving husband of 46 years, Ricky, and their five children: Rick Lewis of Bakersfield, CA, Steven Lewis of Chatsworth, CA, Jason and Heather (Lewis) Baumgardner of Lemon Grove, CA, Amanda Lewis of Encino, CA, and Joshua Lewis of Encino, CA. She was a proud grandmother to eleven children and two granddogs, and an aunt to numerous nieces and nephews. She is also survived by five siblings, Warner and Barbara Kimball of Newbury Park, CA, Dick and Patricia (Kimball) Leonard of Roscoe, IL, John Kimball of Sun Valley, CA, Bruce and Mary (Kimball) Singer of Northridge, CA, Thomas and Kristine (Kimball) Stimson of Reno, NV, and sister-in-law Karen Kimball of Mariposa, CA.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Warner and Edith Kimball, and older brother, Peter Kimball.

Arrangements are under the direction of Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California.