Judith Lynn Walker

April 25, 1949 - September 26, 2022

Judith Lynn Walker passed away peacefully, Monday September 26,2022. She was 73 years old.

Judy was the mother of two children, Lauren Elizabeth Johnson and Jamie Walker Johnson. She was a compassionate doctor and a wonderful friend to many.

She grew up in Hidden Hills, California in what can be considered an idyllic childhood spent in the company of her two sisters and her horse, Buddy. Always a beauty she was crowned Queen of Calabasas, and a cheerleader at Chatsworth High School.  Judy attended UCLA from 1967-1971 where she pledged the sorority Kappa Alpha Theta. She made close friends there that lasted over 50 years. Her interest in medicine began in her junior year when she began working in the tissue typing laboratory of Dr. Paul Terasaki, one of the earliest researchers to develop testing to match kidney donors to recipients.  She was first a medical technologist, and worked in his lab and it was while there that Judy realized that her dream was to become a doctor. She took some extra science classes and was eventually accepted at UC San Francisco for medical school. While there she met her classmate and future husband Paul Johnson. After graduation they moved to Boston where Judy did a residency in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. After residency Judy and her husband worked in urgent care clinics and then travel the world for 6 months.

 

They settled in Edina, MN where Judy worked at Allina Health, Lake of the Isles as an internal medicine physician to countless number of patients who were fortunate enough to call her “my doctor”. Her keen intelligence, kindness and non-judgmental demeanor was a gift to everyone she cared for.

 

Judy survived by her daughter Lauren Johnson and her son Jamie Johnson. Judy loved being a mother, she was always there for her kids. She loved them unconditionally, she always provided support and love for her family. She would proudly boast about her children finding their passions. She loved cooking alongside her daughter Lauren, she enjoyed seeing her confident. Judy and Lauren shared a special bond on trying something utterly delicious together. Lauren learned how to cook from Judy. Jamie enjoyed hiking trips and spending time in Northern Minnesota. Jamie and Judy could talk for hours, she was an incredible listener. They liked to take long walks around the beautiful Minnesota lakes with her white Lab Minne. Both of her kids felt that they could talk to her about anything. They were proud to call her mom.

 

Judy was a creative, accomplished chef who loved cooking for her family and friends. Being an avid reader, Judy belonged to multiple book clubs and made many close, supportive friends while enjoying books and fun times. Judy was an exceptional athlete. She loved skiing and hiking. She made strenuous exercise look easy with her strong, graceful elegance. She loved music and was a “life of the party” dancer. She was physically beautiful but often appeared quiet and shy at first. It was worth the wait to discover underneath that façade a brilliant mind, which could enhance any conversation.

 

Judy’s close sorority sisters feel a tremendous loss at her passing. They have developed friendships that has lasted over fifty years and have managed to get together every year for a reunion that generally lasted four days and involved staying at each other’s houses or visiting fun places. During the years Judy had picked Aspen, CO as one of her favorite places in the world. She was visiting there with her six friends when she suffered a stroke. She had two beautiful, sunny days enjoying the fall change of leaves. She was happy.

 

Judy will be especially missed by her two sisters, Joan and Paula. They have all lived together recently and have supported and cared for one another through illnesses and challenging times. They made a happy household, which included their dogs, horses and kittens, who have been very special to all of them.

 

Judy will be missed by everyone she touched due to her kind, thoughtful and loving soul. She had an impact on everyone she met and will be missed for her enthusiastic love of life.   Her wishes were to return to the earth and forest and she will be remembered in the Fall 2022 in Minneapolis, and in the Spring in Minneapolis Minnesota.  Donations can be given through GoFundMe which will be for purchasing park benches with her name engraved, and planting trees around the Minneapolis parks and lakes where she enjoyed walking the dogs.

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