Judy graduated from her earthly life of 84 years on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at the Stewart Health Center in Raleigh, NC, the nursing home part of the Springmoor Retirement Community. As Alzheimer’s disease took an increasing toll this year, Judy declined rapidly and was ready to move on. She remained peaceful and calm to the very end and her kind personality remained evident in the gratitude she showed to all who visited, called, wrote, and cared for her. Her family knows that she is now smiling, laughing, singing and dancing in Heaven and encouraging us all to carry on until we meet again.

Judy was born in Kankakee, IL on the seventh day of the seventh month (at seven minutes after seven) in 1942, the eldest child of Edmond Russell Ahearn and Marie Gotch Ahearn. She lived in Hebron, IL through grade school where her father gained fame as the only basketball coach to win an Illinois state championship with a school of fewer than 100 students. Judy was a good athlete herself and played ball sports with her brother and all the neighborhood boys. She always regretted that Illinois did not yet have girls’ athletic teams in her schools. She also paired with her lifelong friend, Jacqui Keller Matheson to perform song and dance routines at local clubs, churches and nursing homes. In 1953 her family moved back to her parents’ hometown of Streator, IL. This is where Judy attended high school and was an “activities jock” earning her recognition as the school’s Outstanding Junior. She was a good student and even won a state championship of her own in a speech contest. She was also an adept swimmer, water ballet style, with her school’s Dolphin Club. Judy graduated from the University of Illinois with a BS degree in English Education and a minor in the Russian language. She was a proud member of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority where her sophomore roommate fixed her up on a blind date with the eventual love of her life, Pete Benda. They dated for three years and were married one week after graduation – a marriage lasting 62 years.

After a two-week honeymoon they settled in Poughkeepsie, NY where Judy taught high school English and brought three wonderful children into this world - Scotty, Jill and Brian. Judy loved traveling and her first big adventure was to co-chaperone (with Pete) 16 of her high school students to summer school in Durham, England, living for a month in a 900-year-old castle! The six-week experience wrapped up with visits to London and Paris. In 1971 the family of five moved to Nashville, TN where Judy was busy raising her children and improving her tennis game. At her local swim and tennis club she eventually became club singles champion while her kids all developed swimming skills and became city champs. Judy served as chairperson for the Vanderbilt University international student program. Getting to know and help people from other countries and cultures became a lifelong passion. In 1977 Judy’s next out-of-country travel adventure was a Friendship Force homestay trip to Venezuela with 280 other Nashvillians (Pete stayed home with the kids). While there she spread American cheer, made many friends (one has lasted her lifetime), enjoyed the cuisine of late-night meals, and even had a fly-by of the world’s highest waterfall (Angel Falls). She used tape recorded courses to teach herself Spanish prior to leaving.

The family relocated to Raleigh, NC in 1978, which became her home for the next 48 years. Here she returned to the classroom for 8 years at Millbrook HS teaching English, Creative Writing and Photography. When Millbrook was in danger of losing its competitive swim team she and a fellow teacher stepped forward and took the coaching reins. Her team provided her with the opportunity to coach several state champs like her dad, two of which were her own children! When her kids had all graduated from Millbrook, Judy switched careers and became a successful real estate agent for 14 years, helping more than a hundred clients with some of their most important transactions. Judy interrupted her career in 1995-96 to accompany Pete in his IBM assignment to live and work in Asia, another muti-cultural experience.

In retirement Judy loved doting on, and playing with her 7 grandchildren, singing in her church choir, writing poetry, swimming laps for exercise, working in the garden at her beloved Blue Ridge Mountain summer home, skiing each winter, and traveling the country and world with Pete (47 states and more than 50 countries). Judy delighted in hosting visitors, including scores of internationals, for 24 years to her cabin in the woods. She loved being a vocal supporter and head cheerleader for her athletic grandchildren. In Raleigh she had become active in Bible Studies and used every opportunity to share her faith with family and friends. Those family and many friends have been a great source of support and love during her journey with dementia in recent years.

Judy is survived by her husband Pete, brother Bill Ahearn (wife Marlain), sister Mary Jane Lovins (husband Brad), three children, Scotty Benda (wife Carol), Jill Countie (husband Matt), Brian Benda (wife Marci), her seven grandchildren, Gabrielle Benda, Gentry Benda (wife Jordan), Will Countie (wife Jordan), Grace Countie, Kyle Countie, Caroline Benda, Meghan Benda and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, two step grandchildren, Jack English and Anna Wistead, and one step great-grandchild, Harper Wistead.

There will be three services celebrating Judy’s life. On Thursday, October 1 at Springmoor’s auditorium (1500 Sawmill Rd, Raleigh) at 10:30am, on Monday, October 5 at North Raleigh United Methodist Church (8501 Honeycutt Road, Raleigh) at 1pm for a visitation/reception and 2pm for the service, and on Sunday, November 15 at the Ashe County Arts Council (303 School Ave, West Jefferson, NC) at 1:30pm. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Springmoor Endowment Fund and/or Transitions Life Care, both of which provided great care for Judy in her time of need.