Judith Turner Parmelee

She was born to the late Eleanor Hastings Turner and Benjamin Turner on June 21,1937 in Middletown, Connecticut.

She is survived by her husband of 65 years, James D. Parmelee, her children Lauren Parmelee, Karin Parmelee, and David Parmelee, her daughter-in-law Nancy Emerson, her granddaughter Lucy Parmelee, her sisters Jane Turner, Elizabeth Turner Czajka, and Susan Berry, and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her sister Nancy Turner Bowers.

Judy was very proud of her heritage as a Mayflower descendant of John Alden, Priscilla Mullins, and Stephen Hopkins.

She graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Middletown, CT in 1955 where she was very active in student government and clubs. While in high school, she met her future husband, Jim Parmelee. They both enjoyed going to high school reunions to catch up with old friends.

She received her license as a Registered Nurse from the State of Connecticut in 1958 after she had completed three years of study at Middlesex Memorial Hospital’s School of Nursing. She worked as a nurse for many years, primarily at medical facilities in Willimantic and Mansfield, CT.

Judy Turner married Jim Parmelee on April 14, 1959. They spent their first night together on Cape Cod where they saw their beloved Nauset Light and the Cape Cod National Seashore for the first time. Later they moved to Kansas City, MO where Jim was stationed in the Air Force and Judy worked as a nurse. When Jim was discharged from the service, they took their first road trip to the west coast before returning to New England.

They moved to Mansfield, CT in 1962 and Judy began working as a nurse and raising three children.

Determined to earn a college degree, she enrolled at Eastern Connecticut State University and received her Bachelor of Art degree in Biology in 1977 where she received several scholarly awards for academic achievement.

At Eastern she caught the science research bug, so she went on to study physiology at the University of Connecticut and received her PhD in 1983.

After earning her PhD, she went on to do scientific research at the Uniformed Services University in Maryland for three years, commuting back and forth to Connecticut on weekends. Then for many years she worked at Brown University Medical School in Providence, driving the 102 miles back and forth to Mansfield every day. Coming full circle, Judy spent the last few years of her professional career educating students who wanted to become nurses at Manchester Community College in Connecticut.

She retired in 2002 and moved to Cape Cod with Jim where they transformed their summer home into a year-round residence surrounded by beautiful gardens.

Since retiring, Judy was an active volunteer for local organizations including Mass Audubon, Friends of the National Seashore, Friends of the Eastham Library, the Pan Mass Challenge, Nauset Light Preservation Society, and most dear to her heart Habitat for Humanity Cape Cod.

Judy and Jim loved to travel and learn about the nature and culture of places like the Galapagos, Alaska, New Zealand, Australia and Fiji, the Greek Isles, Italy, Britain, France, the islands of the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada and throughout the United States.

Judy always loved music and was a regular with her husband at concerts and plays at Cape Cod venues. She also loved art, particularly the Impressionist painters and was thrilled when she was able to go to Claude Monet’s home in Giverny, France.

A Celebration of Life will be arranged by the family at a later date. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod.