Judith Baker Travers

She graduated from Granby High School, received a fine arts degree from Old Dominion University and later completed her master’s degree at Regent University.

She was a Past President of the Hampton Roads Chapter of The Public Relations Society of America, and an award-winning public relations counselor with 25 years of experience in media relations, strategic planning, crisis communications, writing and editing.

Among her many career accomplishments, Judy taught at Norfolk State University, engaged in private consulting for several Hampton Roads organizations, including LifeNet and Regent University where she ended her career in Public Relations working directly for former Regent President, Carlos Campo.

Her passion for baseball and attendance at Norfolk Tides games with her mother, Dorothy (Dot) Baker, were heavily influenced by her dad’s time as a professional baseball player.

Judy loved the arts. She was a lifelong art student and many of her paintings were displayed at juried exhibitions and frequently won awards. She loved the theater, for years making annual trips to NYC to enjoy plays and museums while hoping to catch sight of her favorite celebrity crush, Alan Rickman. If the opera Carmina Burana Fortuna was being performed in the area, Judy was likely in the audience.

Throughout her life, Judy thrived on adventures, some of which included travel on a freighter after college working her way across Europe, hopping into her mom’s car late at night to make a spontaneous visit to see Mary Travers (no relation) of Peter, Paul & Mary fame at her private home and teaching aerobics for Jane Fonda.

While she organized elegant corporate dinner events for clients, Judy’s “go to” Friday night excursions were often to Doumar’s Barbecue for a limeade and grilled cheese sandwich.

She was a woman of great faith, and her prayers were powerful and deep. She was always ready to share her love of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Judy was a member and served as a volunteer at several churches over her lifetime including Virginia Beach Community Chapel, Spring Branch Community Church, Essential Church and Williamsburg Community Chapel.

Judy will be remembered as a beautiful woman, profoundly loving and caring by all who knew her. Although she was not an avid sailor, she became a competent helmswoman sailing the Chesapeake Bay and the Caribbean. A lover of Frank Sinatra’s songs, she will be dearly missed by her devoted husband of eleven years, Patrick Travers along with many other family members, friends, and colleagues.

A visitation is scheduled for Wednesday, August 28 from 5 to 7:30pm at Nelsen Funeral Home in Williamsburg, VA. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Williamsburg Community Chapel at 11am on Thursday, August 29th which will also be live streamed on the church website.