Judith Ann Mathews, age 79, formally of Sauk City, WI passed away on Oct. 13, 2025 in Hospice care in Freedom, WI with her husband of 20 years, Dennis Volpe by her side.

Judith drank, cooked and showered with the poisonous potable water at the United States Marine Corps Base Camp Lejune North Carolina for 2 years (1971-1972), and then spent the last 10 years of her life fighting various physical and neurological diseases caused by the water.

Judith was born Judith Ann Sneed in Seattle, WA on Oct. 2, 1946 to Abner Newbern Sneed and Agnes Clare McGarry Sneed.  She grew up in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with her sister, Virginia Sneed Mclaren (Danny), and brothers, William and James Sneed (Susan).

Judith attended and graduated from Northwest Classen High School with honors in 1964.  During her high school years, she was the Oklahoma State High School Debating Champion for three consecutive years.

She attended the University of Oklahoma, graduating in 1967 with honors and a bachelor's degree in English.  She returned home to Northwest Classen High School and taught English there for the next three years.

Judith moved to Dallas, Texas with her first husband, where she gave birth to her son, Andrew Curtis Templin (Fiona) and then to USMC Camp Lejune, North Carolina where her daughter Letitia Irene Templin (David Geel) was born.

Judith was always a strong, self-assured woman.  After raising her children, she and her first husband divorced in 1993, and since Judith was always proud of her Irish ancestry, and even though her mother's maiden name was McGarry, she decided to legally change her family name to that of her maternal great grandmother which was Mathews and go back to work.

Judith always had good business judgement.  She returned back to work first as a mid-level administrator for the State of Colorado.  Three years later she was employed by the State of Wyoming in a higher-level position, and finally in 2000 Judith was employed by the State of Wisconsin Department of Work Forcer Development as manager of the departments Janesville office.  She retired from the State of Wisconsin in 2012.

Judith was an accomplished painter and collector of pottery, loved to dance and sing, loved her Franklin St., neighbors, Friday night friends and fish fry at the Lake Wisconsin Country Club.

Judith was a grandmother to Barrett and Lilli Geel; and also, grandmother to five additional grandchildren, and four great grandchildren through her marriage to Dennis; sister in-law to Susan Sneed and Nona Volpe Schwaller (David); and aunt to seven of her siblings' children.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, James Robert Sneed.

A private family service for Judith was held with interment in the Sauk City Cemetery.