Judith Ann (Kochenburg) Allen

Judith Ann Kochenburg Allen, 72, beautiful, gentle friend, wonderful mother of three terrific children, and Larry’s loving wife of 49 years, departed this earth to join her Creator on Tuesday, August 24, 2021.  After a valiant 18 month battle with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), Judy is now at peace.

Judy was born at Jackson Park Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, on January 19, 1949, and grew up attending schools in the suburb of Oak Lawn.  She graduated as an Oak Lawn High School Spartan in 1967, where she expressed her interests and displayed her creative talent in various drawing, painting, ceramics, and sculpture classes.  Judy was interested in stylish clothing, and sewed many of her own clothes.  Immediately following graduation, she submitted job applications at multiple businesses in Oak Lawn and began working for Buschbach Insurance Agency as a file clerk.  She commuted from Oak Lawn to downtown Chicago to attend modeling school at night.  Ultimately she worked for Midas International Corporation in Chicago in their accounts payable department.  She also attended several art classes at Thornton Community College.

In early July, 1966, while camping with her family at the Indiana Dunes State Park, she met her future husband, Lawrence E. Allen, who was camping with a group of friends from Fenger High School in Chicago’s Roseland neighborhood.  Judy and Larry were among groups of Oak Lawn and Roseland young people who frequently met on weekends at the Indiana Dunes.  The next three years they saw each other frequently in group settings at Northern Illinois University, which Larry attended, and University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University where their mutual friends were students.  They began dating in December, 1969, and on April 8, 1972, were married at First Presbyterian Church, in La Grange, IL.

While Judy worked for Midas, her husband began working for the Illinois Central Railroad.  In March, 1973, they moved to Northern Virginia when Larry began a career with Amtrak.  Judy enjoyed their stained glass classes and disco dancing lessons.  She took a few cake decorating and flower arranging classes as well.  Their three children were born at Fairfax County Hospital, Ryan Tyler in 1976, Colin Scott in 1979, and Christine Mackenzie in 1983.  They were active in the Newington Forest Home Owner’s Association and Sydenstricker United Methodist Church.  Their next move in 1984 took them to Salt Lake City, UT, where Judy created several beautiful watercolor and oil paintings of mountain landscapes.  She also took up knitting.  They made many friends at Hilltop United Methodist Church.  Another move in 1987 took them to Los Angeles, CA, where she took additional art classes at Orange County Community College.  Many photographs were taken of the children’s plays at La Habra United Methodist Church.  In 1989, to accommodate Judy’s wish to return to the Midwest to be closer to her family, they were able to transfer to Milwaukee, WI.  They were active in the First Methodist Church in Waukesha where their three children were confirmed.

Judy loved being a Mom to her three little ones, baking and decorating extravagant birthday cakes decorated with Sesame Street and superhero characters, making Halloween costumes and dressing them in fun outfits.  She volunteered as a Cub Scout Den Mother in California and supported their Boy/Girl Scout adventures, YMCA gymnastics, and school band activities in Wisconsin.  The family enjoyed many camping trips in national parks in Utah, and state parks in Virginia and Wisconsin.  As the children grew older, Judy sold Mary Kay Cosmetics part time, enjoying associations and friendships with other women.  She returned to the work force full time, joining Roundy’s general offices in downtown Milwaukee in their accounts payable department.  She welcomed Kelly Marie, their first granddaughter, in October 1994.

As their children moved on from high school, Ryan to the Army, Colin to the U.S. Naval Academy, and Christine to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Amtrak moved Judy and her husband to Newark, DE, in 2004.  Judy worked with Valero Oil and McDermott Products in accounts payable positions.   With the pending arrival of Isadora Lexis, their second grandchild in 2007, they made another company sponsored move to Seattle, WA, where Judy worked in accounting positions for the Bellevue Club and Vertafore Services.  Judy and her husband retired in 2011.

Judy and Larry made the most of their thirteen years in the Pacific Northwest.  They were members of Cedar Cross United Methodist Church, where Judy joined United Methodist Women, and socialized with other members of the Bluegrass Meadows Homeowner’s Association. Judy expanded her interest in quilting, purchasing a long arm quilting machine and creating many lovely designs.  She also started a quilting group, “The Quilting Gals”.  Judy and Larry purchased a motorhome to tour the PNW and attend the XXI Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC, in 2010.  They greeted Lienna Michelle, a third granddaughter, in Japan in 2012, and Aubrey Leigh, a fourth, in Florida in 2018. They made frequent trips to visit friends in Portland, OR, and Spokane, WA, to ski on Mt. Hood, and to participate in Spokefest on their bicycles.  Judy bought an electric assist bicycle and is one of the 405 riders in the Guinness Book of World Records “Most E-bikes on a Ride” through Seattle’s Magnuson Park on September 15, 2018; a You Tube video of this event is available (Click here for video). They made multiple trips to the Whistler/Blackcomb resort in British Columbia, and enjoyed an Alaskan cruise with close friends in 2015.

Judy’s AML diagnosis in March, 2020, required a 35 day hospital stay at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle.  No visitors were allowed due to Covid-19 protocols.  Thankfully, her cancer was put into remission and Judy and Larry were able to move to Wake Forest, NC, in July to be closer to their children and grandchildren.  To facilitate her cross country move during the pandemic, their son Colin flew his small plane from Maryland to Washington to pick her up, and flew her to her sister Linda’s house in West Virginia.  Her husband then drove cross country, picked her up, and on to their new house.  Her daughter Christine and granddaughter Aubrey moved from Florida to be close to Judy and assist in her care.  Unfortunately, Judy’s cancer relapsed in September, 2020, and bi-weekly, then tri-weekly visits to the Duke Cancer Center became necessary.  Eventually, the red blood cell and platelet transfusions became less effective and she decided her remaining days would be better spent at home, surrounded by her family.

Judy was predeceased by her parents, Charles M. Kochenburg and Geraldine C. Kochenburg.  She is survived by her husband Larry, three children; Ryan, of Oconomowoc, WI, Colin (Danielle), of Leonardtown, MD, Christine (Walter), of Wake Forest, NC, four grandchildren, Kelly, Isadora, Lienna, and Aubrey, sisters Linda (Robert), of Princeton, WVA, Roberta, of Midlothian, IL, Karen (Edward) of Bremen, IN, and brother Steve (Karen) of Shawano, WI.  She will be fondly remembered by many other relatives, friends, and neighbors across the United States.

            A public Memorial Service and Celebration of Life will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, October 23, 2021, at the Westin Chicago Northwest, 400 Park Blvd., Itasca, Illinois, 60143.  Please RSVP to LarryAln.LA@gmail.com if you plan to attend.

The family would like to thank Dr. David Aboulafia, Nurse Practitioner Kristen Nicholson, and Dr. Jimy Gillette for their compassion and care at Virginia Mason Medical facilities in Seattle and Lynnwood, WA, as well as Drs. Harry Paul Erba, Duke Cancer Center, Durham, and Karl Bernat, Duke Health, Wake Forest, NC.  We especially want to thank Ms. Donna Adams, Nurse Practitioner, and all of the extraordinary treatment nurses and staff members at Duke Adult Bone Marrow and Treatment Center in Durham, for their professional, compassionate care.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Healthwell.org, Virginia Mason Medical Center, or Duke University Cancer Center.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.