Judy Marden, of Whitefield, passed away on Jan. 19 at the Glenridge Nursing Home in Augusta following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Born in Philadelphia, Penn., eldest daughter of Walter L. and Alice T. Black, Judy spent her early years in Wayne, Penn., Hinsdale, Ill. and Summit, N.J. Following the untimely death of her father in 1936, the family moved first to Denton, Md. and a year later to Baltimore, Md. She attended the Roland Park Middle School and graduated from Hannah More Academy, an Episcopal girls’ school in Reisterstown, Md.
Judy attended the University of Maine and was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. At the end of her sophomore year, she married a fellow student, Kenneth Marden. The couple resided in Old Town during Ken’s senior year and after a short stint in the Boston area, the Korean War brought them to Ft. Campbell, Ky. where Ken was a parachute infantry platoon leader with the 11th Airborne Division.
Following Ken’s discharge, Judy, her husband, and daughters Priscilla and Emily, lived in Baltimore, Md., North Canton, Ohio and eventually settled in Titusville, N.J. where the family lived for the next 35 years. It was here that Judy’s lifelong love for animals, particularly German shorthaired pointer dogs and Siamese cats, became the focus of her life.
As an active member of the Eastern German Shorthaired Pointer Club and the German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America, Judy rapidly became known as the “oracle” for German Shorthairs. For many years, she served as field trial secretary for the Eastern club and dogs she bred successfully competed in conformation, obedience, pointing breed field trials and hunting tests. She was also one of the first woman Delegates to the American Kennel Club. Judy was appointed to the position of East Coast Director of German Shorthaired Pointer Rescue. During the nine years she served in this position, she was responsible for the adoption of over 1500 Shorthairs from Maine to Florida, including 51 that she and her husband personally trained and successfully placed in new homes.
After her children were grown, Judy was employed as office manager of the Washington Crossing Animal Hospital in Washington Crossing, Penn. She loved this job, but after eight years, had to give it up in order to accompany her husband, then American Kennel Club president, while attending important AKC events across the country.
Well known for her cheery disposition, sense of humor, artistic talent, and absolute integrity, Judy devoted her life to her children, her dogs, and mentoring newcomers to the sport of purebred dogs. Her favorite pastime, other than dogs, was playing bridge, a game at which she excelled. Because of their lifelong fondness for Maine and its people, Judy and Ken happily retired with their five dogs and two cats to Whitefield in the year 2000.
Judy was predeceased by her parents, Walter and Alice Black, and siblings, Larry Black and Anne Vanasse.
She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Kenneth A. Marden of Whitefield; daughters, Priscilla Marden and husband Tony Panarisi of Thayne, Wyo. and Emily Marden and husband Allen Adams of Sturgis, S.D.; grandchildren, Jesse Johnson of Seattle and Alex Schechter of Atlanta; nieces and nephews, Kathy Gates of Skowhegan, William Philbrick of Albion, Judy Elliston of Skowhegan, John Black of Santa Monica, Cal. and Laurie Blake of Vista, Cal.; and brothers-in-law, Donald Marden, DVM, of Draper, Ut. and Richard Vanasse of Penobscot.
Memorial celebration of Judy’s life will be conducted at St. Giles Episcopal Church in Jefferson at a date to be announced. Private family graveside service will be conducted at the Black family plot in Sandy Point in the spring.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Giles Episcopal Church, PO Box 34, Jefferson, ME 04348.
