Judith Isabel Wrigley

Judy was born November 15, 1939 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Earl and Ella Wilke. She was the youngest of five children and part of a large close extended family. In 1948, when Judy was 8, her family moved west and settled in Inglewood, California. The 4-day drive to California with brother Jerry and sister Bonnie was no doubt the starting point for her life-long love of road tripping. The remainder of her childhood was filled with many weekend trips, with her parents and sister Barbara, to the beaches, deserts, and mountains of Southern California. These were adventures that shaped Judy’s life. Judy attended Inglewood High School where she loved music and little else. She excelled at piano and, following in her father’s footsteps, loved to play the accordion.

After high school graduation in 1957, Judy got a job working for Security First National Bank, a job that gave her many good memories and wonderful lifelong friendships. Working also allowed her to buy her first car, a 1954 Ford Crestline Victoria, which in turn allowed her to expand her love of the road. With her freedom, she was able to spend a lot of valuable time with her sister Jackie and Jackie’s four small children, forming special bonds with them as a cross between an older sister and second mother. During that time of life, being young and single, Judy made a number of friends and had many great experiences, and it was through one of those great friends that she met Fred Wrigley in February 1964.

After just five months of courtship, on July 12, 1964, Fred and Judy were married in Las Vegas, Nevada. That was the start of a new wonderful phase of life for Judy and the start of a new identity as a couple. They settled in San Bernardino, California where they were blessed with two sons, Brian and Jeff, and where they continued to build and enjoy relationships with family and friends. Their active involvement as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was a defining part of Judy’s life. She and Fred were sealed in the Los Angeles temple in December 1965. The next 20 years brought Judy and Fred many challenges: they discovered Brian had muscular dystrophy and lost him at age 16, they lost their house in a California wildfire, and Judy suffered from physical problems that led to major back surgery. At the same time they had many amazing experiences: Raising their children, sharing time with family and friends, serving in church, and spending a lot of time on the open road traveling with their RVs all around the west and across the country.

The next chapter of Judy’s life began with a move to Apple Valley, California in 1987 where Fred and Judy continued on their path as empty-nesters. With Jeff out of the house, they continued as a couple making new lasting friendships, cementing old friendships, sharing time with family, serving in church, and counting many miles on the road. Fred and Judy joined an RV club and continued to travel around the country visiting family and friends and experiencing many wonderful things. Several major events in Judy’s life happened while living in Apple Valley: in 1995 Fred retired from the San Bernardino Fire Department, in 1997 Judy retired from the Victorville Elementary School District where she had been working part time as an administrative assistant, and then in 1998 their son Jeff married Julie, giving Judy a daughter-in-law. With the freedom of retirement and the draw of a growing family in Utah, Fred and Judy sold their home, packed up their now larger RV and in 1999 moved again.

The next chapter in Judy’s life was centered more than ever on her family. In 2002 she was blessed with a granddaughter, Anna. Being close to Jeff, Julie and Anna was important to Fred and Judy and they were able to find a house within walking distance from them. This was a wonderful time being able to be grandma to Anna. From ‘grandma daycare’ when Anna was small, to being a devoted fan of Anna’s community theater performances, to sharing life stories and advice as Anna became a young adult, Judy cherished her role as grandmother. Also during this period Judy and Fred were able to combine their love of RVing with church service by serving as missionaries at the Church’s historic Martin’s Cove Handcart site in Wyoming. They spent six summers living in their even larger trailer while serving as volunteers and tour guides at Martin’s Cove. These times were extremely rewarding and enjoyable for both of them. Judy especially loved driving the mission “rovers” around the trails.

In 2019 Judy lost her very beloved husband Fred and has since spent her available energy working on genealogy, journaling, organizing family photos and keepsakes, and organizing pretty much everything. Judy’s organization skills were second to none. With growing health problems Judy was unable to continue with many things, most sadly her ability to drive. She kept her car until the end, refusing to give up the idea of the freedom and adventure that it symbolized. On the positive side, she never stopped keeping in touch with her amazing family and friends and was calling them and drawing strength from them right to the end.

Judy is survived by her son Jeff, daughter-in-law Julie, and grand-daughter Anna Wrigley. She is also survived by her nieces, nephew, and many other extended family members that meant a great deal to her. She was preceded in death by her husband Fred, son Brian, mother Ella, father Earl, brother Jerry, and sisters Barbara, Jackie and Bonnie.

A viewing will be held at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park (3401 S. Highland Drive, SLC, UT) on Friday, June 21, 2024 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. On Saturday morning, June 22, a brief viewing will be held at 10:00 am followed by a graveside service at 11:00 am. The family is inviting all to join them after the service for a memorial lunch in Wasatch Lawn’s main building where they would like to hear and share stories and remember Judy’s life.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Muscular Dystrophy Association are welcome. https://www.mda.org/