Judith B Zahn

Judith B. Zahn, 76, of Hatfield, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, July 5, 2024.
Judy’s generous spirit, sage advice, and warm embraces will be sorely missed by all who knew her.
Judy grew up in Doylestown, PA and graduated from Bucks County High School in 1966. She was in a terrible automobile accident at that time and shifted her interests from teaching to nursing due to the care she received. She graduated from Presbyterian-University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1969 and dove right in, beginning work at Valley Forge Army Hospital.
She met her future husband, Steve, in 1971, and it was love at first sight. He was recuperating from an injury sustained in Vietnam at Valley Forge and wooed her with his sense of humor and gentle nature.
Judy and Steve married in 1973 and moved to Massachusetts shortly thereafter. They settled in Hatfield and began their careers at the V.A. Medical Center in Leeds as a Registered Nurse, and at the Amherst Police Department as a Patrolman. Their daughter, Hannah, came along in 1979 and they were the best parents a kid could ask for.
Judy worked for the V.A. for over 30 years, and her kind bedside manor along with a healthy dose of no-nonsense attitude made her a favorite, especially on Ward 8. She retired in 2007.
Free time in her later years was filled with plenty of quilting, reading, annual trips to Cape Cod, dinners out at local establishments, kitchen table chat sessions, watching birds, enjoying her swimming pool, occasional mischief, and relaxing with friends on the back porch.
Judy will be fondly remembered as a shoulder to lean on, lending an ear to anyone who needed to talk and was always supportive and encouraging. She was a long time supporter of numerous local charities and organizations. As Steve used to say, “Judy you’ve got a heart like a hotel - room for everybody.”
She is survived by her daughter, Hannah Zahn, of Hatfield. She was predeceased by her parents, her brother, Milton, in 2005, and her beloved husband, Steve in 2011. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews and in-laws.
Services will be held at Look Park at the Garden House on Friday, July 12, at 11:00am with luncheon to follow. Dress comfortably. People are encouraged to wear flip flops if they are able, as they were Judy’s favorite year round footwear.
In lieu of flowers, please embrace Judy’s giving spirit and donate to American Legion Post #344, 1 Prospect Street, Hatfield, MA.