Obituary MISSOULA, MONTANA

Judith Hart Smith

1944-2013

Judy Smith

November 1st 2013

Obituary MISSOULA, MONTANA –

Women's rights, peace activist Judy Smith remembered for her legacy

Intense, passionate, political, brilliant and visionary –

Judy Smith was all of these, and so much more.

Judith Hart Smith, 69, passed away Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013, in the presence of loving family and friends. Lifelong activist for women’s rights, world peace and social justice, Judy began her service of others during her Peace Corps tour of duty in Nigeria in 1967.

A graduate of Brandeis University in 1966, she completed her doctorate in molecular biology at the University of Texas-Austin in 1973. During her years in Austin, Judy wrote for the underground newspaper, The Rag, and established an Austin women’s center to advocate for women’s reproductive rights including freedom of choice while working with attorney Sarah Weddington to develop the Roe v Wade case.

Second daughter of Bertrand Leroy Smith and Louise Alice Smith, Judy is survived by her sisters Linda Smith of Missoula and Laura Gewissler of Montpelier, Vermont.; her nephews Dejung Gewissler of Vermont and Bernhard Gewissler of California, and her life-long partner, Jim Wheelis.

Moving to Missoula in 1973, Judy was instrumental in founding Blue Mountain Women’s Clinic to provide choices for women regarding reproductive rights. She went on to help found WORD (Women’s Opportunity and Resource Development) to empower women to move forward in their lives. She co-founded WEDGO (Women’s Economic Development Group Organization) which offered business incubation grants and workforce training. She helped create HomeWord, a community development organization promoting home ownership and affordable housing. She taught classes at the School of Social Work at the University of Montana for many years and taught assertiveness training at the Women’s Resource Center, which she helped found.

For many years her commentaries on KUFM brought hope and inspiration to listeners. Judy selected topics from among the issues of the day and wove them into a story that resonated with people throughout the community, always relating them to women’s best interests. Her walks along the river and trips to Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge and Freeze Out Lake reflect her lifelong love of nature. She celebrated the changing seasons and often shared her awareness of the fragile nature of our world in her radio commentaries.

After Missoula voted for Neighborhood Councils, Judy and her sister Lin applied for the contract and implemented the Neighborhood Council model of citizen involvement that has led to 17 current councils in Missoula neighborhoods.

Her passion for developing women’s leadership capacities and her love of politics combined to bring about the creation of the Montana Women Vote project and the Montana Women’s Pipeline, which encouraged women to participate in the electoral process.

Numerous community development projects in Missoula had their origin in Judy’s concern for a better future for everyone: business incubator projects to support women moving off welfare into the workforce, construction of major housing projects for low-income residents.

Her generous spirit is evident everywhere in Missoula and her legacy of caring deeply for the rights of women and the needs of those less fortunate will be carried forward by those she touched in so many ways. Her love of sports led her to play basketball and soccer in Missoula and her joy in singing brought her to the Missoula Community Chorus for many years.

Donations in honor of Judy may be made to the following organizations: Blue Mountain Clinic, Montana Public Radio, Jeannette Rankin Peace Center, Partners Hospice of Missoula and Heifer International. A memorial service celebrating Judy’s life will be held outdoors next spring in the Big Sky country she so loved.

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