Judith Anne Huffman

Judith Anne Gunter Huffman went to her Heavenly rest on April 3, 2014 surrounded by family at UK Chandler hospital. She was preceded in death by her beloved parents John Hubert Gunter and Beatrice Gertrude Rollyson Gunter, her beloved niece Joni Gunter, and her beloved in-laws Otho Clarence Huffman and Margaret Ruth Nicholson Huffman. Born in Charleston, WV on July 8th, 1941, she grew up in St. Albans, WV and graduated from St. Albans high school. She was a member of Fairlawn Baptist Church and sang in the choir. She was a talented seamstress from a young age, learning from her mother. Her mother also taught her how to play the piano. She was a majorette for the high school marching band and also represented the state of West Virginia at Girl's State in Washington, DC. As a teenager and throughout life, she loved to dance. She attended Marshall University on an academic scholarship and studied speech therapy. She was President of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority chapter there. She married George David Huffman of Huntington, WV and they started their married lives in Columbus, Ohio. An award winning typist, she helped support the young family by typing dissertations while her husband earned his PhD from the Ohio State University. After having daughters Jane Ellen Huffman Hayes (Greg) and Sara Beth Huffman Miller (Eric), they moved to Indianapolis. While there, the family took two one-year sabbaticals: to London, England in 1969 where she kept house and did brass rubbings at local churches; and to Monument, Colorado in 1978 where she taught classes at Stretch and Sew and was active at Monument Community Presbyterian Church. In Indianapolis, Judy worked for New York Life and then the Indianapolis Center for Advanced Research as the Contracts and Human Resources manager. She also later worked with the Entrepreneurship Institute associated with the Center. She was a Deacon of Fairview Presbyterian Church. She was a Girl Scout troop leader. She was an officer of the Butler Tarkington Neighborhood Association, an organization dedicated to the racial integration of Indianapolis neighborhoods. The family moved to Hattiesburg, MS in 1984 and she again worked on her degree at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). Here she met her earth son (“found” here on earth versus by birth) Joseph Macon Chancey, Jr. In 1988, she graduated with honors receiving a B.S. in Computer Science and Accounting. As Dean of the College of Science and Technology of USM, her husband had the honor of handing her the degree at graduation. She subsequently worked as a computer programmer, and ran a bow making business with her friend Susie Doblin. She then worked in the Development organization of USM. She also became one of the first certified instructors of Brother Sewing Company’s computerized embroidery machines. She sewed robes for the members of the St. Thomas Aquinas choir. She and her husband converted to Catholicism and became members of Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Hattiesburg. She was a Lector and Eucharistic minister. She trained the altar servers, Eucharistic ministers, and Lectors. She scheduled ministries. She taught CCD. She directed the youth Christmas program each year, often sewing many of the costumes herself. In 2002, Judy and her husband retired to Powell County, KY, moving closer to their daughters and precious grandchildren Chelsea Anne Hayes, Alexander Huffman Schnur, and David Lee Hayes. Here she found her earth daughter Kelly Ann Noss Marcum and special friends Dr. Charles G. Noss, Toni Noss, and Sheila Barnett. She also met her earth grandchildren, Hannah Elizabeth Marcum Brewer and Joshua Shane Brewer. She took great joy in her grandchildren: watching Chelsea Anne dance in recitals and competitions, watching her graduate from college; watching Alex play drums and perform some of his own songs as the opening act for Foreigner after winning the Battle of the Bands, watching him graduate from high school; watching David Lee play in the Kentucky State baseball tournament, watching him graduate from high school; watching Hannah graduate from high school, watching her eat her first bites of meat at Kathy’s Country Kitchen after starting on Kuvan medicine for her PKU. Judy became a member of Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church. She helped organize and run an annual auction that yielded several-fold larger return than previous years. She created green and rose vestments for the Church. She sewed costumes for the children in the CCD Christmas program. She trained the ministries and scheduled the duties quarterly. She assisted with the annual Mike Latona Senior Citizen dinner as long as she was physically able. She was an Extraordinary minister and Lector. In addition to Church activities, Judy spent many hours lovingly altering dance costumes for Chelsea and Hannah. She was a voracious reader and great supporter of the Powell County library. An avid genealogist, spurred partly by her dear brother Dr. John Lee Gunter (Diane)'s interest in genealogy, she documented her family history. In her typical flair, she made a family tree for Christmas, sewing an ornament for every member of her multiple generation family tree as well as for her husband's family tree and her son-in-laws’ family trees. She also made a family tree for the Noss family. This interest in genealogy led her to discover her ties to Squire Boone and to the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). She started with the Red River Valley chapter of DAR in 2012, becoming a certified member in June 2013. She made many wonderful friends there, sewing them each name tags just recently. In January 2013, she became the secretary/administrator of the Beechfork Golf Course, assisting her husband the President. The board members lovingly referred to her as “Madame Secretary.” Judy is survived by her college sweetheart and beloved husband of 53 years Dr. George David Huffman, her beloved daughters Jane and Sara, her precious grandchildren Chelsea, Alex, and David, her beloved son-in-laws Greg and Eric, her beloved brother Johnny and his family, her beloved brother-in-law Timothy Carpenter Huffman (Debbie) and his family, her earth children Jody and Kelly, and her special friends Dr. Charles Noss, Toni Noss, Sheila Barnett, the Duncans, the Henderson family, the Osgood family, the Rivir family, the Ostdiek family, the Hedgepeth family, the Gallington family, the Schnur family, the Nations, the Laybournes, all her Church family, and all her wonderful friends over the years. She touched the lives of all she met and will be missed dearly. Funeral services Monday, April 7, 10:00AM Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church, Stanton. Visitation Sunday 5-7pm Davis and Davis Funeral Home. Burial in Stonegate Cemetery with Eric Miller, Greg Hayes, Alex Schnur, David Hayes, Jody Chancey, and Josh Brewer serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers serving, Dr. Charles Noss, members of Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church, members of local DAR, and all of her special friends.

Judith Anne Huffman

July 8, 1941 - April 3, 2014