In Memory of Judith G. Jensen

Obituary

Judith Geiwitz Jensen was born in Detroit, Michigan, on September 30, 1941, and died in Utica, New York, on February 4, 2025, at age 83. Judy was born to parents Jane and Leslie Poss Haefele, a medical doctor and a nurse/housewife, and grew up with an older sister and two younger sisters.

If you knew Judy Jensen, you knew the kindest, most thoughtful and considerate woman you’d ever be blessed to know. Judy was a brilliant, sensitive, very caring person. She was loved by all for her gentle, happy spirit and her beautiful way of connecting with others. Raised in Garden City and Dearborn Michigan, Judy attended the Dearborn public schools, then graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with both Bachelor (1962) and Master’s (1964) degrees in German language and literature. She studied also at the Universities of Beirut, Lebanon, and Odense, Denmark. At various times she studied the Arabic, Russian, and French languages. She also studied Portuguese when Peter’s work took them to Brazil. And, in embarking on a new career, she became fluent in Danish. Her family called Judy ‘the perpetual student.’

After college graduation, Judy worked initially as a math teacher, but she soon realized it was not her future. She had married, had a child, Chazz, and divorced. In 1973, she took her young son to Odense, Denmark to visit a friend, and she fell in love with the country. Interested to study for a new career, Judy entered the Danish school system to learn the language and to become eligible to study at Odense University. There she enrolled in the School of Medicine and in 1981 earned her MD through classes held entirely in Danish. In 1980, her final year of schooling, Judy spent the summer as a ‘fill-in’ doctor in Karlskoga, Sweden, because Sweden at that time had a shortage of doctors. In July of 1981, Judy returned to the US to enter a four-year program at Syracuse University to specialize in radiology. Thereafter, she worked for several decades as a diagnostic radiologist in the Utica, Norfolk, and Oneida areas of New York, some of the time in a partnership office, but most of the time on the radiology staff of Faxton Hospital.

Judy had several hobbies that gave her joy and stimulation: primarily singing, gardening and playing bridge. She studied voice from her teen years through college. During high school, she traveled to the Fisher Building in Detroit to record a weekly radio show, singing with the Don Large Make Way for Youth Chorus. Judy continued her love of song by joining church or community choirs whenever she could.

While in Denmark, Judy decided to audition to sing with the band at a local Jazz House called “Sophus Ferdinand.” There she met a handsome young Danish man, Peter Jensen. They began to date and were married in 1982.

Judy and her husband Peter had a home in Whitesboro, NY, for many decades. The neighbors referred to this home as “The Flower House” because every year Judy planted hundreds of flower bulbs; one year it was hundreds of tulips that bloomed! Their home reflected her joy in the beauty of gardening for all passers-by to enjoy.

Judy also loved the game of Bridge. She was diligent in pursuing detailed knowledge of the game. When she played with her sisters, she would lay out each hand afterwards to understand how the play could have gone better or differently. She really enjoyed using her intellect in this analytical way. During Covid, she started to play once a week online with two sisters and a friend. She also played online on her own, and many were the times when she would take a picture of the screen to show a great finish among thousands of other online players.

One highlight of Judy’s retirement years was the annual ski trip to the Colorado mountains that she made with her sisters, nieces and other family members. She enjoyed the skiing, complemented by games of Bridge and RummiKub or jigsaw puzzles, Irish coffees on the slopes, and the great camaraderie of her loved ones. Other highlights were her many trips to Europe to visit Peter when his work placed him there, and to visit Lene, her beloved sister-in-law, in Denmark.

In 2022, Judy and her husband moved from Whitesboro to New Hartford to join the retirement community at Preswick Glen. There Judy continued to play bridge and to sing in the Preswick choir. However, illness finally caught up with her and she died peacefully in hospice at the local Abraham House. Her final week there was a blessing, as the staff made sure she did not suffer from pain. God had an active presence in Judy’s life. She had a deep faith and trust in God which gave her peace of mind about her passing.

Judy is survived by her husband Peter, her son Charles and his wife Melanie, and their children Kenny of Akron, Ohio, and Kelly of Liverpool, NY; and two younger sisters, Jennifer Zarmati (Elio) of Los Angeles, California, and Roxane Scott (Paul) of Cornville, Arizona. Her older sister Tonnie Glick (Mort) of Savannah, Georgia, passed in 2024.

Kindness was a synonym for Judy. If you wish to honor her spirit, please offer kindness whenever you have the chance. One of Judy’s guiding mottos was this:
“May I move through this day with purpose.
 May my sun shine on someone
 And make a difference.”

The Beatles sang, “And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make.” Judy took oceans of love to her meeting with God because of all the love she gave while here with us.

Judy valued her membership and fellowship with her local Presbyterian church. A memorial service for Judy will be held on March 7 at 11:00 a.m. at the New Hartford Presbyterian Church, 45 Genesee St., New Hartford, NY 13413.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions be sent to support the wonderful work of Abraham House, 1203 Kemble St, Utica, NY 13501.

Arrangements are with the Friedel, Williams & Edmunds Funeral and Cremation Services, 13 Oxford Rd., New Hartford.

For online expressions of sympathy go to fwefh.com.