Wethersfield Obituary: Virginia Judson, 88

Virginia Judson, 88, passed away peacefully on Thursday, September 28 in her home in Wethersfield, surrounded by those she loved.

Ginny was born Virginia Lee Davenport in Albany, NY, and grew up in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, where her father worked for the telephone company. Following her graduation from Cornell University in 1950, she began a long and tireless career in public service, first in New York State’s Commerce Department and then in Washington, D.C., with the U.S. State Department.

When her marriage of 16 years ended in 1974, she moved to Connecticut where she worked for the state’s Office of Policy and Management and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. She became known as a pioneer, a leader, and an organizer, bringing together individuals and organizations at the local, state, and national levels. She helped develop policies that would promote clean, sustainable energy, protect the environment, and ensure a better future for people and animals on earth.

In her private life, she practiced these same values. In the early 1970s, she started her town’s first recycling program. By the end of that decade, she had installed solar panels at her home, which provided hot water and energy savings. She was also deeply involved with a variety of organizations, including People’s Action for Clean Energy, Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, the League of Women Voters, and the Wethersfield Energy Commission. She devoted her time unsparingly to help those in need in her community and her church while giving generously and regularly to a wide range of worthy causes.

She was a lifelong lover of birds, wildlife, and the outdoors, from her early days as a Girl Scout to her later years as a visitor to National Parks across the country. She enjoyed hiking the Appalachian Trail and was very fond of the ocean and the seashore. She loved music, regularly attending summer concerts at Tanglewood in Western Massachusetts.

Ginny was a strong and independent woman, a determined and energetic advocate, and a beloved spirit who brightened countless lives. Besides the special place she held in the hearts of friends and family who knew her best, she was a favorite regular customer at many local businesses whose staff came to know her well over the years.

She is survived by her two sons, Tom Judson of Delray Beach, Fla., and Andrew Judson of Minneapolis, Minn., and her grandson Dylan Baker of Hartford.

Per her wishes, she will be laid to rest beside her parents and her grandparents in Albany, N.Y., in a small ceremony with her immediate family. There will be a memorial gathering at a later date, to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Ginny’s memory may be sent to Worldwatch Institute (www.worldwatch.org).

To share a memory of Ginny, please visit www.desopo.com.