Judy Garfield

Judy was born on April 1, 1944, in Tremonton, Utah to Luella Ramona Atkinson and Harmon Dudley Pierson of East Garland, Utah. She was the third of four children. She passed away peacefully at home on 4 August, 2021. She is proceeded in death by her parents and brother Dallis Joseph Pierson. She is survived by her husband and all of her children and grandchildren.

Judy grew up in East Garland where she loved to roam with her friends on their bicycles. She helped in the house and on the family farm; the latter of which led to some near-death experiences. When her skill at popping the tractor’s clutch upset the hay bales her brothers were trying to load on the wagon, she learned some new words as they threatened her with bodily harm.

In high school she was a member of Phi Gamma, was one of two senior girls chosen to go to Girls State, and was Queen of the Bearfax dance. Through her youth she worked at Steeds Dairy Bar, the Golden Bowl, and Kings. She graduated from Bear River High School in 1962.

Judy married her high school sweet heart John Raphael (JR) Garfield just after graduating from Bear River in the Logan LDS Temple on November 15, 1962, and was always proud of saying she was not married at 18, but she waited until she was 18 and a half. Together they had four children: Bryan John, Bradley Harmon, Amy June, and Jeffrey Owen; they have 16 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren (as in Lake Woebegone, each is above average and better than the others). She had a great love for dogs, ice cream, and shopping with her friends and family.

They lived many places as J.R. followed his career as an Engineer and rocket scientist. They lived near the Houston Johnson Space Center, the Florida Kennedy Space Center, back to Utah at Thiokol, on a mission to Xi’on China, at the Alabama Marshall Space Center, back to Utah as a consultant to ATK, to Washington DC, to New Hampshire, to Nevada, then back to Utah again to work at Hill AFB on a new rocket project.

While in Florida she was very proud of being the launch honoree that sat next to Buzz Aldrin for breakfast just before he and Neil Armstrong boarded the Apollo capsule for their trip to the Moon.

On their teaching mission to China, she could have written a book about her many wonderful Chinese friends and the spiritual experiences she had. Judy was touted by many as the most beautiful woman on campus. Twice a week she taught a class of professors from a faraway university that was upgrading their University’s English skills. They loved her so much and could not wait for her classes. She got so many thanks from them for her ability to create an environment that built many friendships. When these educators started her class, they were strangers, but under her guidance they all became the best of friends. In Xi’on she was able to pursue her great love of shopping. Many days when she was out of school, she would hop in a cab and head 10 miles downtown to the Muslim market. This is a narrow ally that wound for a mile through downtown. She became well known in the market and earned the ranking of such a good friendly customer that she got their lowest prices on everything. The merchants loved when she would come in and visit.

Judy loved the Gospel and served in many positions in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints including an ordnance worker in the Boston Temple, and five consecutive callings in different wards as compassionate service leader. Although shy about expressing it, she had a strong testimony of the Savior and His great work of restoring the gospel to the earth, and uniting families eternally.

Services will be held at the Rogers and Taylor Funeral Home, 111 North 100 East Tremonton, UT 84337 on Saturday August 14, 2021, with a viewing from 9:00 to 10:30am and service at 11:00am. The services will be live-streamed and may be found at www.ruddfuneralhome.com under Judy’s obituary.  Burial will be in the East Garland Cemetery.