Judith Ann (Young) Story

Judith Ann (Young) Story passed into the waiting arms of her Heavenly Father on Sunday, November 12, 2023.

Judy was born in Clinton, Iowa on April 21, 1941 to Ted R. and Eunice (Henricksen) Young. In her Junior year of High School, she met and eventually fell in love with a Junior College student, and she and Robert N. Story were married on June 20, 1959.

In May of 1967, Judith and Robert adopted a very special daughter, Kelly Lynn, who changed their lives forever. For Judith, the event marked the beginning of life-long advocacy for legislation, education, and employment to benefit those with developmental disabilities. She organized parent groups to ensure compliance with existing laws to obtain resources for Special Education students in the public schools. In the Minneapolis School District, she counseled elementary age students who were struggling with the affects of alcoholism within their families.

Judith served on the Board of Directors and on numerous committees of the Madison Area Rehabilitation Centers (MARC) in nearly all capacities over a span of more than twenty years. She was particularly active in the area of MARC that provides employment opportunities and support to developmentally disabled adults within the community (Responsive Employment Services). She was also a member of the ARC-Dane County and received their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.

She served as Agency Manager of the Middleton-Cross Plains Special Olympics for more than twenty years, active in fund-raising, organizing athletic events, social opportunities for the athletes and families, and accompanied athletes to various area, regional and state tournaments. Judy also was selected to chaperone a Special Olympics “Global Messenger” to Washington, D.C., where they met with members of Congress and lunched with the Shriver family at their estate.

Judy felt truly blessed to have had so many wonderful individuals with special needs enter her life. Her tireless compassion and devotion to improving the lives of those with whom she came in contact was a gift from God that she never took lightly. She would always be the first to say that it was she who benefited most from her work.

She was a sweet person with a beautiful smile. Today, the bells toll to announce that this world has suddenly darkened, but Heaven is brighter than ever before.

Judith Ann Story is survived by her husband, Robert of Middleton, their daughter, Kelly Lynn of Madison; a brother, Ted R. Young (Terry) of Worcester, Massachusetts; a sister Cheryl L. (Young) Berry (Tom) of Davenport, Iowa; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

The family requests that contributions be made to the Alzheimer's Association https://www.alz.org/ or the Madison Area Rehabilitation Centers, Inc. (MARC) https://marc-inc.org/.

The family wishes to thank the devoted staff of Brookdale Middleton-Stonefield Memory Care and the staff of Agrace Hospice for their loving care.

A celebration of Judy’s life will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, November 17, 2023 at the Cress Center, 6021 University Ave., Madison, WI. A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. A reception will follow.

Please share your memories of Judy here on her Tribute Wall.

Cress Center

6021 University Ave. Madison

(608) 238-8406