Judith M Davies

Judith Marie Davies, 74, of Penney Farms, FL died April 10, 2019, peacefully at her home after a decade courageously fighting a rare neurological illness (Pure Autonomic Failure).

Born to Ralph H. Camping and Cora (Bakker) Camping on February 14, 1945 on a dairy in Artesia, CA, Judy graduated from Bellflower Christian Grade Schools and Mayfair High School in Lakewood, CA.  In 1966 she earned her B.A. degree in Education from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI, before entering the teaching force to teach high school and middle school English and music in public and Christian schools in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida, and Ontario, Canada.

She married Mark A. Davies in 1966 in Holland, MI and after Mark’s ordination into the Christian ministry she worked alongside her husband in Christian Reformed Churches in Minnesota, South Dakota, New York, Michigan, Florida, Washington State, and Ontario, Canada serving as educator, church organist, choir director, VBS director, and prayer minister.  She was a member and officer of school boards in New York and Michigan.  While teaching Community Education in Holland, MI she was named “Most Outstanding Teacher – 1991”; she was also nominated as “Most Outstanding Junior Educator” of 1971 in Upper Dublin, PA. 

A piano and organ accompanist par excellence, Judy taught music lessons for many years, and had an unusual gift for helping children’s choirs to sing with excellence and perform in outstanding church musicals and plays.  With Mark after their retirement she co-taught Friendship Classes, a ministry to multiply-handicapped adults, for five years in Lynden, WA, before their move to Penney Retirement Community in Florida in July, 2017. 

Judy ‘s many creative gifts found expression in her musical composition and performance, flower gardening (she especially loved blue morning glories), and her amazing Fabric Art creations of flowers, felt play houses and other children’s toys, jewelry purses and other beautiful things.

Judy is survived by her husband Mark of Penney Farms, and by their three daughters and families: Sarah and Alex Costa and their children Paul and Christina, of Union, NJ; Monica and Justin Lewis and their children Shenan and David, of Coronado, CA; and Laura and Joe Newhouse and their four children Rose, Will, Claire and Luke, of Broken Arrow, OK.  She is also survived by her sister Bev and her brother Cal/Betty. She was preceded in death by her parents and elder sister Linda Veldhuis of Ontario, CA, and niece Jody Veldhuis and nephew Ricky Veldhuis.

Funeral services of Thanksgiving will be held at the Penney Memorial Church in Penney Farms, FL on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at 2:00 PM, with The Rev. Dr. Sid Rooy officiating.  A reception in the McCormick Hall Fellowship Room will be held after the service.  Inurnment will take place later in the Penney Retirement Center Cemetery Columbarium.  Donations of flowers may be sent to Penney Memorial Church in Penney Farms, and/or donations sent to Friendship Ministries, 2215 29^th Street SE Ste B6, Grand Rapids, MI 49508 (friendship.org/donate); or to Mobility Worldwide, P.O. Box 919, Penney Farms, FL 32079 ([email protected]).