Judith Claire DeCroix (Washbond) passed away in the company of family on March 18, 2017 at Memorial Medical Center.  She was 79 years old.

Judy married Bill DeCroix of Springfield on August 31, 1957, and they celebrated over 59 years of married life together.  She was the only child of Harry and Florence (Nelson) Washbond, who both preceded her in death.  In addition to her husband, she is survived by two sons, Douglas DeCroix of Youngstown, New York (Executive Editor at Western New York Heritage Press) and Gregory DeCroix of Middleton, Wisconsin, (professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison); three granddaughters, Stephanie (age 16), Ava (age 14) and Grace (age 12) and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Judy graduated from Springfield High School in 1955, where she was inducted into the National Honor Society, sang in the high school choir and was a member of the “Singing Seven.” Active in golf and tennis, she also enjoyed Girl Scouts and Sea Scouts, where she earned a “life guard” status in swimming.

Judy attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the class of ’59, where she majored in English Literature and was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority.  Bill’s job resulted in seven relocations throughout the years, the most recent being a move to Perrysburg, Ohio, in 1978, where, for 20 years, Judy served as the assistant librarian at Perrysburg High School.  She enjoyed the opportunities for new friends and new experiences that came with each change of address.

Retirement brought Judy and Bill back to central Illinois in May of 1998, moving into the house her mother and father had built in rural Rochester.  Her life-long passion for books and reading led to memberships in the Rochester Fortnightly Book Club, as well as the classics book group at the Lincoln Library and the book club at the Rochester Public Library.  She was also a past volunteer with the Friends of the Rochester Public Library, being honored as their Volunteer of the Year in 2004.  When she wasn’t reading, sewing or knitting, Judy enjoyed watching the “wildlife” through her kitchen window:  the deer and their fawns, the turkeys, squirrels, raccoons and all varieties of birds.  She and Bill both enjoyed traveling, and they visited 11 countries together during their retirement.

Judy was a member of Rochester United Methodist Church.  Visitation will be held at the church on Tuesday, March 21, from 4-7pm, with funeral services to be held at the church on Wednesday, March 22, at 10am.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Friends of the Rochester Public Library or the Rochester Historical Society.

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