Judy Jackson Hicks

Her life and her deep faith eternally impacted her family and all those who knew her. Judy’s beautiful smile and contagious joy will be deeply missed by so many. We learned so much through Judy’s life. She lived her life with purpose, passion, and faithfully fulfilled her calling as a beloved daughter of the King. Judy believed her life on earth was temporary, and she lived longing for the day she would be home in Eternity with Jesus.

Judy gave her family and friends the greatest gift. She spent her life telling the story of the treasure she found, and she believed this pearl of great price was worth losing all to gain. Her life honored Jesus as King, and she lived life beholding the wonder of His perfect love. With all her heart, she believed God’s promises and rested in His all-satisfying love.

Judy understood the importance of teaching the younger generations and she spoke about the beauty of His love in a way that drew others in. If you knew her, you would know about her Father. Jesus Christ was the backdrop of her life. He was the subject, the verb, the sentence, and the story of her seventy years. To Judy, He was the answer to any question and the balm of every wound.

As ovarian cancer weakened her earthly body the last three years, she faithfully clung to Jesus through each hour and day of her pain and suffering. She loved telling the story of Jesus’ love to everyone in her path. Her weak voice told His story of hope to nurses, doctors, hospice friends, and countless others. Although Judy’s suffering was intense, she proclaimed that His glory on the journey was worth the pain.

She taught us to sing and lift our hands in worship even in the midst of the deepest pain. Not only did she teach us to live beautifully, but she taught us the beauty of His grace in her dying. We will forever be impacted by the beauty of His glory shining even in the midst of her suffering.

Judy loved her family with the deepest passion. She adored her beloved husband of 51 years. He was her best friend and he loved and served her so beautifully during their marriage. She loved her daughter and son, their spouses and her eight grandchildren with all of her heart and treasured every moment with each of them. She loved her friends, hosting tea parties, gardening, travelling, painting, antiquing, and wood-working, and most of all studying God’s word. She loved living on the lake and treasured every sunset.

She was born in Oxford, Alabama and spent several years in Cleveland, Tennessee and Murfreesboro, Tennessee; and the last 26 years in Birmingham. She attended Briarwood Presbyterian Church and then helped start Double Oak Community Church in Mt. Laurel 15 years ago. Judy loved her church, her community, and teaching women’s bible studies. She and her husband devoted time each summer to serve on mission trips to Yakama Indian Reservation in Washington State and in most recent years they founded a yearly mission to serve and build houses for families in need in Ensenada, Mexico.

She is survived by her beloved husband, Thomas Allan Hicks, her son Todd Hicks and his wife Monique, her daughter Stephanie Lloyd and husband Mark, and eight grandchildren: Emma Hicks, Ben Hicks, Igor Hicks, Ira Hicks, Anna Caroline Lloyd, William Lloyd, Katherine Lloyd, and Margaret Lloyd. Her sister Paulette Sprayberry and husband Tim, niece Nichole Shockley and husband Greg.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Double Oak Community Church, Ensanada Mission, 115 Olmstead Street, Birmingham, AL 35242 and Crisis Pregnancy Center, 1484 McGuire Road, Birmingham, AL 35216.