Judith Crowson

Judith "Judy" Gwen Crowson, age 94, passed away peacefully at 6:15 AM on August 29, 2022, at Life Care Center in Longmont, Colorado. Born Gwa De Chi on August 8, 1928, in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Judy displayed an adventurous and rebellious spirit even as a child. When unsatisfied with meals prepared at home by her mother, Judy would wander the streets around their home in search of snacks that she would buy from local food carts. This resilient spirit would serve her well in later years when, as a teenager, Judy contracted and barely survived a year and-a-half bout with malaria during World War II. In her mid-twenties, Judy met and fell in love with Frank Crowson, a U.S. Army soldier serving in Taiwan, while on duty with a Military Assistance Advisory Group. Following her marriage to Frank in July of 1956, they both began a wild and wonderful journey through life that started with a transoceanic voyage aboard a U.S. Naval ship from her home in Taiwan to the west coast of the United States. A brief stay in San Francisco followed, and Judy was happy exploring the sprawling neighborhood of Chinatown, thinking this was to be her new home. However, after retrieving their vehicle from shipment, an ensuing cross-country trek relocated Judy to the east coast, where she and Frank lived with his mother in Maryland for a period, before purchasing their first home, adjacent to Fort Belvoir, in Alexandria, Virginia. While living in this home, two rambunctious sons were born to Judy and Frank. The first was Robert in 1961, followed by Edward in 1964. Judy came to excel as a wife, mother, homemaker, and caretaker to Frank's elderly mother. Over the next 10-plus years, Judy and the family moved multiple times, establishing homes in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New Jersey and finally in Maryland, while supporting Frank's career after his retirement from the Army. Each move was welcomed by Judy and viewed as a new adventure. Her easy-going personality always enabled her to make new friends and on occasion, avoid a traffic ticket. She also enjoyed gardening, crocheting, and was an accomplished and acclaimed cook and baker. Judy was known for cooking elaborate multi-course meals when hosting parties, and baking a wide assortment of goods for church and political events. When friends planned gatherings, they often asked if Judy would prepare specific dishes or baked items to bring with her, which were always favorites. After living in Mount Airy, Maryland for 34 years, Judy and Frank relocated to Peoria, Arizona in 2013. Frank succumbed to congestive heart failure two and-a-half years later. Judy then relocated to Colorado in 2016, where she enjoyed a return to seasonal weather while living with her son, Edward. Judy was preceded in death by her parents, siblings, and husband, Frank. She is survived by her sons Robert, and Edward, who embody her spirit of adventure and resilience, and her niece, Kathryn Mak, and family.