In Memoriam: Judy Mack
SVT lost a good friend when Judy Mack of Sudbury passed away on May 3. A long-time SVT employee, Judy joined the staff in the mid-1980s at a time when SVT was transitioning from an all-volunteer organization to one with a professional staff.
Judy was hired by Allen Morgan, an SVT co-founder who was also SVT's first Executive Director. During Judy's tenure, she had a hand in just about everything, from land steward to volunteer coordinator to map making to newsletter editing.
After retiring in 2001, Judy continued to play an important role in SVT projects. She helped to edit and proofread the book Sudbury Valley Trustees: 50 Years of Conservation by George Lewis (published in 2004), and she wrote the property and trail descriptions in SVT's first trail guide, 40 Walks West of Boston (published in 2013). Judy and her husband, Will, remained dedicated SVT volunteers and property stewards and were honored with our Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.
We will miss Judy, and we express our condolences to the Mack family.
Her full obituary is provided below.
Judith Anderson Mack of Sudbury, Massachusetts, age 82, passed away peacefully on May 3rd in Concord. She was surrounded by family in her final moments.
Born November 16th, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois to Ralph and Edna Anderson, Judy grew up in nearby Lincolnwood. As a child, she enjoyed trips with them, journaling about her travels, and the warmth of her extended family of Swedish and Welsh descent in the Chicago area.
Judy attended Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, where she majored in English due to her love of literature. She was president of the Phi Beta Kappa chapter at the university, honoring her dedication to her studies and the quality of her work. While a freshman, she would meet her lifelong love, William E. Mack, from Boston, at the time a senior classmate.
After her graduation, Judy and Will were married in Chicago on June 27th, 1964. Moving to the Boston area, they soon settled down in their house in Sudbury. There, Judy raised two sons, Owen and Casey, and tended to a sprawling vegetable garden, and for a spell, a brood of chickens.
Early on, she taught English at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, sharing her love and knowledge of the language with students who benefited greatly from her guiding hand and gentle touch. Later, she brought these skills to her work at Sudbury Valley Trustees, editing its newsletter for many years and acting as a land steward. Indeed, care for the land for flora, fauna, and for people was a basic commitment for her, seen in her long support of environmental causes near and far away. Additionally, she worked for many years as an English as a Second Language instructor for immigrant women in the Boston area.
Judy was a kind and nature-loving soul, who thought of herself as a "country mouse.” Known for her great curiosity about many things, she was a great listener, and this quality made you think of things you’d like to share with her. She relished kayaking, ice skating, dog walks, and contra dancing while at Squam Lake, New Hampshire, where she and Will had a summer house. Though Judy also had an explorer streak, enjoying with Will the discovery of new walks on trips to Yorkshire, England or the landscapes of the Yangtze River in China. She is survived by her husband, two sons, and three cherished granddaughters, Penelope, Bridget, and Ise Mack.
A private service will be held this autumn at their home overlooking Squam. Donations in Judy’s memory may be made to SVT.
She is deeply missed.