Judith Reck

How do you sum up the life of a special person with whom you shared almost two thirds of your life? Judy was first my best friend, long before she became a lover, a wife, a mother and a soulmate. Born Judith Mary Hadenko, February 7, 1947 in Kitchener, ON, at St. Mary's Hospital, she was the only child of Peter and Mary Hadenko, both of whom predeceased her. She married David Anthony Reck on January 25, 1974 at St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church in Kitchener. Exactly eighteen months later, her first daughter, Jennifer Lynn Reck of Toronto, ON was born, followed by (but not in second place) Andrea Elizabeth Reck, also of Toronto. In addition to her immediate family, Judy is survived by her uncle Richard Glushkoff of Niagara on the Lake, ON, two aunts by marriage, Audrey Hadenko and Judy Hadenko of the Waterloo Region and many, many cousins. Judy was by no means studious as a teenager and quit school at sixteen to work at Schneider's Meats but throughout her life she could more than hold her own in any discussion and could complete crossword puzzles more quickly than anyone I know. After Schneider's, she worked at the University of Waterloo Book Store where she met and married her husband of almost 40 years. Judy packed up along with a six and four year old and followed her husband's dream of success in the United States without a second of objection. While there, she was required to be both mother and father to her daughters. Full credit must be given to Judy for the wonderful women our daughters have become. Upon returning to Canada, Judy began her successful career in Real Estate where she excelled in marketing and selling new homes working with blueprints and renderings to help her clientele envision and finally realize their dream homes. She started with Freure Homes in the early 1980's, recently retiring from Hearthstone Homes. Her co-conspirators at Peak Realty, Kitchener became not only fellows in their careers but fast friends who sat and talked with her to provide comfort in her last days. To list all of Judy's accomplishments and good deeds would be daunting, everyone who met her felt they could be friends, so let's just continue the theme and say she was SPECIAL in all that word means. Judy passed away peacefully at home, as she wanted, in the presence of her family, the afternoon of October 5, 2013. Friends may call at the Ratz-Bechtel Funeral Home , 621 King St. W. on Thursday from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. where parish prayers will be recited at 8:30 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday at 11:00 a.m. from St. Anthony Daniel Church with Father Bradley Markus officiating. Donations may be made to the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre as expressions of sympathy through the funeral home. Special thanks go out to the staff at the cancer centre as well as Dr. Stephen Keleher, Dr. Robert Ghali, the Red Cross Care Partner Nurses who were so comforting near the end and to Joan McCarthy and her team at the Community Care Access Centre for all their help to my daughters and I. On line condolences may be sent to www.ratzbechelfuneralhome.com