We always called Judy “JB” for Judy Bel. We Force cousins saw their family quite often, as during our teen years they lived about 20 miles away in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and also lived in Somerville, Connecticut, during our growing-up years, where we would visit during the summer.
In Connecticut the family had horses, and JB loved to ride on their property. She and I rode together occasionally (I was a lousy rider and had many mishaps). About five months older than I, she could also be a troublemaker. One summer a large quantity of cherry bombs was available, and she and I had great fun with them. I don’t recall if any mailboxes were destroyed…
One time we teenage cousins were painting the barn where the horses were kept. Cousin Buddy (Chet Waite) from Morristown PA volunteered for (or was talked into) painting the barn’s peak, which was over 20 feet tall. He painstakingly climbed the long, rickety ladder and, upon discovering a wasp’s nest at the top, made a quick descent without ever touching a rung! We all had a good laugh over that.
JB was always involved in different pursuits. One year while living in Pennsylvania, she was in a local production of South Pacific. She even took me along for a rehearsal. She loved theater and arranged for cousins and siblings to attend West Side Story at the theater in the round inside a tent, with a jungle gym as the main prop as a “see-through” building.
I remember JB decided she wanted to be a Quaker as a teenager. One Sunday we cousins went to a Quaker meeting with her, as she wanted to share her discovery with us.
This past summer we were so looking forward to seeing her at the family reunion in Maine and are sorry her illness denied us that privilege. We celebrate Judy’s life with you, a life well lived and a family well loved.
Dave Force
