Judith Mary (Anderson) Atkinson

Judith Mary (Anderson) Atkinson passed away peacefully on September 15, 2022 at the age of 83.  Judith was born in Malden, MA and spent her youth and young adult life there.  She was a trailblazing graduate in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University.  She was one of the very few women in her class and graduated near the top, a great source of pride.  She started her career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and then transitioned to Raytheon and subsequently worked for various other companies, taking several years away to raise her children.

She moved to Newburyport, MA with her husband Donald and raised two daughters there. Judith was quite the community activist, much to the consternation of those who fell within her sites. She lobbied hard for the school district to add algebra to the middle school curriculum so that students would be prepared for advanced STEM classes in high school and beyond. Later, she would become a thorn in the side of Canadian officials as she demanded they do their job and clear the beach of errant boats. She was even featured in the local newspaper for her efforts.

She and Donald eventually retired to San Antonio, TX. Subsequent to Donald’s passing (August 16, 2014), she moved to Zionsville, IN to be closer to her daughter and two grandchildren. Judith was a force: fiercely independent, unwavering and extroverted with boundless energy for her passions. Her upbringing was unmistakable, as she never lost that strong New England accent. She enjoyed traveling, cooking and do-it-yourself projects like knitting, making jewelry and drawing. She loved spending time in her beloved house in Nova Scotia and searching for sea glass for her jewelry making (along with fighting her Canadian government battles).

Judith is survived by her two daughters, Emily Atkinson Ward (Tom) of Zionsville, Indiana and Crossland Atkinson Belongia (Blake) of Celina, Texas; two grandchildren, Ava and Peter Ward; and two sisters, Karen Anderson Landry (Roger) of Hingham, Massachusetts and Faye Anderson (Joyce) of Quincy, Massachusetts.

Judith was never the wallflower at events. She would be the first on the dance floor at any affair, to the embarrassment of her teenage daughters. She continued that throughout her life, and as her daughters matured, it is now a sacred and treasured memory.

Donations in her memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association .