Judith Arlene Hanlon of Alamo, Calif., died at Casa Blanca Retirement Home on Saturday, July 24. She was 86.
The daughter of longtime Wayland business owners Merle and Isla Peffley, she was born in Plainwell and raised in Wayland, graduating from Wayland High School in 1953 and earning a bachelor of arts degree in speech therapy from Michigan State University in 1957.
She married her high school sweetheart, Robert Gene Hanlon, in September 1956. They were wed for nearly 60 years.
Some of Judy’s sorority sisters at Alpha Omicron Pi called her “Peff” (short for Peffley), but some who didn’t know her last name called her “Poof.”
Judy loved musicals and from 1964-1972 pursued roles at Midland Music Foundation and Contra Costa Musical Theater with productions such as My Fair Lady, Unsinkable Molly Brown, How to Succeed in Business, Oklahoma, South Pacific and 110 in the Shade (role of Snookie).
Judy graduated from LPN nursing school as class valedictorian at J. Everett Light Career Center, Indianapolis, in 1974. Upon passing the state LPN exam, she trained with local hospitals and worked for St. Vincent Hospital. Within two years, she transitioned to doctors’ practices in nephrology and internal medicine in Indianapolis.
She continued her nursing career with a gynecology practice in Pleasanton, Calif., following the family’s move in 1983. Judy’s hard work enabled her to put both her children through college and realize the dream of having her own horse named Dutchess (saddle, pickup truck and trailer). Dutchess made the trip to California as well.
Judy attended Golden Hills Community Church of Brentwood, Calif.,with her husband in later years.
She is survived by her two children Robert (Anne) Hanlon of Pleasanton, CA and Patricia (Keith) Teel of Bellingham, WA; grandchildren Kayla Teel of Bothell, WA and Bryson Teel of Bristol, CT; cousins Dianne (Ken) Burkhart of Plainwell, Doug (Tami) Dommert of Kalamazoo, and Jim Gilbert of Hastings.
Judy was preceded in death by her late husband Robert Gene Hanlon (2016).
In Judy’s honor, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (http://theaftd.org), or AFTD, 2700 Horizon Drive, Suite 120, King of Prussia, PA, 19406.
A brief graveside memorial will be conducted at the West Elmwood Cemetery, Wayland, at 11 a.m. Monday, Oct 18, for family and friends.
