Judith Drake MacIsaac died peacefully at home with her loved ones on Feb. 13th. She died of Covid and dementia, at age 88.
She was born in Fairhaven, MA to Bradley and Frances Drake. She attended Fairhaven High and the St. Luke’s School of Nursing. In her teen years, her love of music and playing piano bloomed. She was named Miss Massachusetts in 1954 and competed in the Miss America pageant the next year. She met her husband, Donald MacIsaac, who interviewed her about the pageant. They were married in 1955.
They moved to Kingston where Judy got a job as a nurse. When three children came along, she became a stay at home mom. Besides raising her children, she was active with the Kingston Musical Society for over 50 years. She was a leader in the St. Joseph School musical department directing multiple musicals. She joined “The Diemer Trio” – a piano, cello and violin trio, and played at many events. As the children got older, she went back to work leading a small advertising firm, “The Donald Cameron Associates”. She also worked managing real estate in the Kingston area.
In their silver years, Judy and Don traveled the world. Their trips included safaris and ballooning in Africa, Trekking to the base camp of Mt Everest, Rafting the Colorado and Bio-Bio rivers in the USA and South America, adventuring in the Antarctic and Dog Sledding in Minnesota, and more. Judy co-authored a book with Don entitled “Adventures after 50”.
Judy’s husband Don passed ten years ago and they are now together in heaven. She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law Stet and Sue Drake, her daughter Cathleen, her sons Michael (Deborah), and Cameron (Traci), six grandchildren: Molly, Abigail and Daniel (Michael and Deborah), and Matthew, Megan and Daniel (Cam and Traci), and many nephews and nieces.
Visitation is Friday, February 18th 10:30 – 12:30 pm at Keyser Funeral Home, 326 Albany Avenue, Kingston NY. Mass to follow at 1:00 pm at St. Joseph’s Church, 242 Wall Street, Kingston, NY
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