Judy Marie Shannon
September 11, 1947 ~ August 25, 2021 (age 73)
Obituary
Judy Marie Shannon, age 73, passed away peacefully, but very unexpectedly, on Wednesday, August 25, 2021, at her home in Albuquerque, NM, where she was in the process of relocating to from her alfalfa farm in La Joya, NM. Judy is survived by her loving husband, Robert "Bob" Shannon, of 52 years, her daughter Jodi Springstead (married to Brandon Springstead), her grandchildren, Kirk and Bella Springstead, her sister Frenda Rounseville (married to Dr. Matt Rounseville), her sister Laureen Robinson and a large extended family who loved her and will miss her spirit. She was preceded in death by her parents Earlene and William Martin and her nephew, Kenneth Moore.
Judy was born in Sonora, CA, on September 11, 1947, while her parents were traveling for work. She lived her early years in Mena, AR, before moving to Ramah, NM, so her dad could work with family in the sawmill industry. Her family relocated to Albuquerque, NM, when Judy was in her early teens and she remained a resident there until 2000. Judy worked at Mountain Bell (Qwest) from the time she was a junior in high school until she retired in an upper management position. Bob and Judy were residents in the Old Town area of Albuquerque, where Bob had grown up. This wonderful location led to many years of family gatherings on Christmas Eve to see the luminarias in Old Town and the Country Club area as well as feasting on traditional New Mexico food.
In the year 2000 she and Bob relocated to La Joya, NM, where they had taken on the enormous task of renovating an abandoned hunting cabin and turning it into a beautiful home overlooking hundreds of acres of alfalfa fields. Bob always referred to their La Joya home as "the one by the Rio Grande, not the one by the ocean." This new home was referred to as "the farm". To their surprise, this new home was also the home of thousands of bats and hummingbirds. They quickly became experts in both species. Judy worked different jobs and stayed busy during her retirement years.
The first of Judy's greatest joys in her life was born in the early morning hours of March 30, 2007, when her daughter, Jodi, gave birth to her first grandchild, Kirk Robert Springstead. The arrival of this beautiful gift came almost 6 weeks earlier than expected. She and Bob arrived from "the farm" in just the nick of time to hear the cry of what would become one of her closest companions. She officially became "Grammy" and lived up to everything that word could ever mean. Her next greatest joy arrived on February 22, 2014, and this time her gift was a beautiful granddaughter, Bella Shannon Springstead. These grandchildren completed her and she loved them more than anything. Judy was a very active part of their lives and did her very best to be at any and all sporting, school or other events that took place. There were many field trips taken and lots of Kirk and Bella's school friends felt an overwhelming "grandparent" connection to her. She also developed friendships with the other grandparents who became part of her support system.
Another love of Judy's were her beloved dogs. She and Bob started with a few and ended up with many. These dogs were treated like royalty and also got to enjoy the freedom of having vast space to run and play at "the farm" as well as luxurious chairs and couches at their disposal when it came time to rest. They feasted on rotisserie chicken from Costco and lots of other yummy treats. Her dogs are missing her warm lap and cuddles just as much as we are.
Judy's funeral service to be held at Immanuel Lutheran Church (300 Gold Ave SE. Albuquerque, NM, 87102) on Saturday, September 11, 2021 at 11:00 am.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Judy Shannon's name to Immanuel Lutheran Church/School (ilcabq.org). Also, please make a note in the donation memorandum line.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Judy Marie Shannon, please visit our floral store.
Services
FUNERAL SERVICE
Saturday
September 11, 2021
11:00 AM
Immanuel Lutheran Church
300 Gold Ave
Albuquerque, NM 87102
