Mabel Judith Gandee

In the game of bridge, recognition as a Life Master is the ultimate tribute. The designation signals that a player has competed fiercely in officially sanctioned bridge tournaments, achieved a record number of points and beaten other Life Masters at their own game.

Judy Gandee was a Life Master - who mastered life.

At 78, years old, she died in Nashville, Tennessee, on January 28, 2022.

Judy picked up bridge as a little girl in Charleston, West Virginia. She loved the game for the rest of her life. A tough competitor with a tender heart, Judy is remembered by friends and family as someone who could pick you up when you were down, who could make you laugh until you both cried, and as the person who always brought the party with her wherever she went.

She belonged to two bridge clubs - one at her church - and the other with a group of friends who dubbed themselves the “SLUTS,” shorthand for “Southern Ladies Under Tremendous Stress.” She and her friends treated their “stress” with bridge, champagne and gales of laughter. They often traveled together, visiting Europe in groups of eight to ten, proudly referring to themselves as “SLUTS,” just to see the reaction.

After a lifetime as very good girls, it was awfully nice to pretend to be a little naughty.

Judy married her high school sweetheart, Bud Gandee, and their love for each other lasted the rest of their lives. Bud has been gone for about ten years. They were “a magical couple.” That’s the wonderful way that their niece, Sallie Dillon, remembers the pair: “They were joyous spirits who attracted people and loved to have fun.” They relocated frequently as Bud moved up at work, then made their permanent home in Nashville, a place they both loved and had long wanted to settle.

Judy was the mother of “Irish twins,” two girls born 12 months and 12 days apart. Lynn, the oldest is, like her mother, a skilled and compassionate nurse. Lisa, also very much like her mother, is a ferocious competitor, not at bridge, but in hardball Texas politics.

Judy and her husband splurged on travel, good wine, and great fun. They loved college football and fell hard for NHL hockey, long before the rest of the country caught on.

Judy leaves a lifetime of lovely memories with daughter Lynn Banaszak and her son Reed. They lived close to Judy and helped immeasurably with her late-in-life health challenges.

Judy’s daughter Lisa Turner and husband Chris will treasure forever the time they spent with her and loved sharing Judy with her two Texas grandchildren, Melissa and Scott Hunsaker. She was always a great Grandmother, but Scott and his wife Alexa made it official six months ago, with the birth of Judy’s first great grandchild, Riley.

Judy’s beloved Havanese pup, Gracie, will be living with her daughter Lynn, with help from Lisa. It was the last promise she asked of her much-loved “Irish twins.”

Judy leaves her large group of close friends and neighbors, as well as her beloved church family at St. Andrews Lutheran Church in Franklin, Tennessee, wishing they could hear another one-of-a-kind “Judy” story.

Services will be held for Judy at St. Andrews on Friday, February 18th at 11 a.m. Come and celebrate her lifetime of love, loyalty and laughter with family and friends.

Memorials in Judy Gandee’s name can be sent to the St. Jude Medical Research Center or the Meditation Garden at St. Andrews.

The bridge games will be quieter and family holiday dinners won’t be the same, but Judy leaves behind a lasting lesson for all who knew her. If you want a life like Judy’s, you’d better play your cards right.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Woodlawn-Roesch-PattonFH.com for the Gandee family.