Judith K. Scanlon

Judith (Judy) Scanlon (née Kirkman) was born in Chicago, IL, on June 3, 1934, the oldest child of Ruth Anderson Kirkman and Robert Kirkman. Her childhood was spent between Chicago, IL, and Phoenix, AZ, before the family relocated to the Capital Region in 1947. After graduating from Albany High School, she briefly pursued nursing at Cayuga College before transitioning to teaching, earning her degree from Cortland State Teaching College. After teaching for a few years in and around Syracuse, NY, Judy moved to Denver, CO where she lived and taught for 8 years. She eventually returned to the Capital Region and in 1974, bought a house on Delaware Ave. in Delmar, which remained her home until 2013. 

Judy married Michael Scanlon in 1977, and they remained together until Mike’s passing on October 13, 2009. Judy and Mike were pet lovers, and the anchors of the family, hosting countless family parties and gatherings over their decades of marriage.

Judy taught at Hamagrael Elementary School in Delmar, NY, for nearly thirty years. There, she built a close circle of friends, including Dorann Stagnitta (dec), Gytelle Bloom, Joan Hyde, and Art Copeland; together they traveled throughout the region, attending operas and ballets and visiting cultural landmarks. Patricia O’Rourke (dec) was another of Judy’s close friends.

During her teaching years, she collected miniatures and staged and displayed a variety of scenes. After retiring, she began taking painting classes and worked with oil paints, pastels, and watercolors. She was a member of the Bethlehem Art Association and participated in many of their art shows. 

Judy is preceded in death by her husband, Michael, her parents, Robert and Ruth Kirkman, and her sister, Janice Harvith. She is survived by her stepson Michael, and his wife Rosalie; her brother Robert, his wife Ruth, and their children and grandchildren; and the daughters and grandchildren of her sister Jan.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Judy’s name to the Mohawk-Hudson Humane Society or the Arts Center of the Capital Region.