Judith (Judy) Barbara Walker, age 65 of Hollywood, MD passed away on August 2, 2022 at home. Judy was a resident of St. Mary’s County, MD for the last 26 years. She was born on January 14, 1957 in Philadelphia, PA to the late Joseph F. Merk and Thelma Wilby Merk.
Judy graduated from Philadelphia High School for Girls in 1974. After high school she earned her BS in Mathematics Education from Penn State University in 1978, After marriage she earned a second BS in Computer Science from Arcadia University 1986 followed by her MS in Computer Science in 2002 from Johns Hopkins University. She married her college sweetheart, John Walker on April 21, 1979 in Philadelphia PA. Together they enjoyed traveling and visited all 50 states, and after retirement bought a winter home in Flagler Beach, Florida fulfilling her lifelong dream of living by the shore.
Judy’s career was in public service as a Mathematics and Computer Science high school teacher and a software developer, software safety, flight clearance authority and team leader for many US Navy programs. She was known to some as the velvet hammer for her soft yet effective leadership style. She was well known for her intelligence and camaraderie; she was someone you wanted to work with.
Judy looked forward to the coming generations. She volunteered and judged local, regional and international science fairs. She used her professional society, the International Council on Systems Engineering, to support scholarship opportunities for students pursuing careers in STEM. She always worked to give back to programs that supported her daughter and other young women in the sciences.
Above all she cherished her family and friends. She enjoyed family game and movie nights, and long phone calls with loved ones. She enjoyed spending time with her daughter: drinking tea out of one of her collection of teapots, getting their nails done, baking together, and getting rowdy at live concerts. Her various hobbies included crocheting, listening to music, and gardening. She would collect wild plants on walks to propagate for her garden and was also particularly proud of her collection of African Violets.
The ocean was her happy place, and she started a family tradition of having to make one last stop to say goodbye to the ocean before leaving the beach. She also enjoyed going to Walt Disney World and never missed an opportunity to wear her mickey ears.
She is survived by her husband, John Walker and her daughter, Julie Walker and her brother, Joseph Merk. She was preceded in death by her parents.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, August 20, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. at First Saints United Methodist Church, 25550 Point Lookout Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650. After the service, the family will be hosting a celebration of her life at their Maryland home.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made on her behalf to the Best Friends Animal Society can be made at https://everloved.com/life-of/judith-walker.
Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.
Arrangements by Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A.
