Judith Ann Beattie's Obituary
Judith Ann (Zalewski) Beattie, 69, passed away on June 20, 2019 at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland, CA. She was born in Chelsea, MA to Stephen and Agnes Zalewski.
Judy grew up in Chelsea, MA, where she graduated from St. Rose High School in 1967. After high school, she attended Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA, receiving an A.B. degree in Mathematics. She was a proud member of the first graduating class of the B.C. College of Arts and Sciences to include women. While taking a full course load, she also worked full-time at the post office to pay her way through school. She went on to earn her M.A. in Mathematics from B.C. in 1973. Judy was a passionate educator of mathematics at St. Claire High School for several years. She then moved across the country to earn her M.B.A. at the University of California at Berkeley Haas School of Business in 1979. After graduating, she began working as a systems engineer for IBM, a position she held for 13 years before leaving to focus on raising her two daughters. Judy was an incredible teacher and homeschooled both of her daughters through high school, instilling in them her love of learning.
After meeting in IBM training and maintaining a long-distance courtship for three years, Judy and Mark were married in 1982 in Chelsea, MA. They were happily married for 37 years. Judy had a strong Catholic faith and was a member of Corpus Christi Church. She had a strong commitment to service, and volunteered her time and resources to numerous Bay Area charities including St. Vincent de Paul, Casa Vincentia, and the Alameda County Food Bank. Judy enjoyed reading, needlework, gardening, and was an incredible correspondent, keeping in touch with dozens of friends and relatives through thoughtful holiday and birthday cards and her annual Christmas letter. She was an avid traveler, and backpacked through Europe after college. Her love of travel was woven into her daughters’ education, as she crafted annual cross-country road trips that brought them to numerous historical sites and national parks. Judy will be remembered by her extended family as the consummate host and event planner, organizing semi-annual family reunions in Marshfield, MA to maintain a close connection even while living 3000 miles apart. Judy was a woman of remarkable intelligence, generosity, humor, perseverance, and positivity.
Judy is survived by her husband Mark, her daughters Katherine and Meaghan, and numerous cherished cousins with whom she maintained a close bond.
Judy was preceded in death by her mother, Agnes Zalewski, and her father, Stephen Zalewski.
Two funeral services will be held for Judy Beattie to allow all of those that loved her to say goodbye. The first service will be held at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 322 St James Drive, Piedmont, CA 94611, on Friday, June 28, 2019 at 11AM. The family will receive friends and relatives after the funeral mass in the
Gibson Center for a reception. The second service will be held at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 601 Broadway, Chelsea, MA on July 8 at 10AM, followed by burial at Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, www.jdrf.org, to fund type 1 diabetes research. Condolences and memories are welcome with appreciation on Judith (Zalewski) Beattie’s online guest book.
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