Judith Marjorie Weller

Judith Marjorie Weller, known to all as Judy, passed away with her family at her side on December 11, 2020, in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, after a courageous battle with cancer, having reached the age of 86.

Judy was born to the late Francis Joseph and Lily Rose (Bell) Hird on January 21, 1934 in the small town of Wairoa on New Zealand’s north island. Growing up, Judy loved going to the movies with her sister, Josie. These Hollywood productions filled her with dreams of seeing the world, specially North America. After graduating she left New Zealand to explore the globe, visiting the United States, spending some time working in London, England and then ultimately taking a job with International Nickel when she settled in Toronto in 1962. It was there she met her husband to be, Jack Weller, and the two were married in London, Ontario, Canada on February 18, 1966.

Jack and Judy subsequently headed to the west coast, and it was while living in Prince Rupert that their son, Mark was born in 1968. Four years later, their daughter Jackie was born in New Westminster in 1972. From 1968 through to 1977, Jack’s work took the family to many different locations in the region, including a year in Seattle, Washington, and Port Coquitlam where the family bought their first home.

The family arrived in the small village of Mica Creek in 1977, and later moved to Revelstoke, British Columbia in 1982. By then the pace of relocating had diminished, and Judy met many cherished friends at this time.

Judy was gifted with her hands. She was an extremely skilled typist, could take short hand, a master knitter and was an accomplished piano player. She was a dedicated Mom, a talented cook and meticulous homemaker, and considered her first calling to be the raising of her kids. While juggling these different roles she worked as a secretary for organizations as diverse as McDonald’s corporate office to a local office of BC Hydro.

In 1995, Jack and Judy retired to Penticton, BC, in the sunny Okanagan Valley, which they called home for 22 years. It was during this time that they were able to do some travelling, specifically making a visit to New Zealand. Although Judy eventually became a Canadian citizen, she was always proud to say that she was born in New Zealand.

In later years, Judy was a tireless caregiver to Jack as he aged. In 2017, the two of them moved to Kamloops to share a home with their daughter Jackie and her family. It was a gift to spend her final few years with family.

Judy is survived by her husband Jack Edgar David Weller, and her children: son, Mark and his wife Janet, granddaughters Jeneva, Charlotte and Celine and grandson Michael; and her daughter Jackie, her husband Mike Martens, and granddaughter Ashley and grandson Nathan. She was predeceased by her brother Reg Hird, and is survived by her older sister Josie Catherine Eley, as well as her cousins, nephews and nieces in New Zealand.

Judy was a dutiful caregiver and loving parent, but also had a mischievous streak and sense of adventure that lay just so slightly under the surface. The love and support she provided those who knew her usually happened without fanfare but were significant to her family and community. She will be sorely missed, but whenever one sees a mischievous twinkle in the eye of a child she will be remembered.