Judith P. Maxwell

Judith P. Maxwell, 85, died March 25, 2026. Her rich life centered around caring for others with an exuberance that went unmatched.

Soon after graduating from Goucher College, and obtaining her teaching certificate, Judy moved to Ithaca and taught elementary school at Caroline, Beverly J. Martin (then Central), Belle Sherman, and Boynton Middle School. She taught her students with consideration, affection, and dedication. More than simply assuring they gained skills in mathematics, Judy taught her students responsibility, respect for others, and kindness. She took time to know her students, and she herself became their “safe zone.” Students loved Judy and they discovered an environment filled with trust and an opportunity to build self-esteem in her classroom.

Judy demanded that students work hard, but she tempered that demand with a wicked sense of humor. Before one class trip out on Cayuga Lake—affectionately called “the Voyage of the Mimi”—she told her students to be the lookout because someone had recently spotted the rare Cayuga Lake Monster. She also claimed that she had seen whales in the lake several times. There were no discipline problems on this field trip: all the students were fixed on looking for the rarities that might be found in the lake.

Even after she retired in 2000 because of a vocal injury, she could not leave the school district. She was elected to the Ithaca School Board three times and appointed once. When she retired the board members passed a resolution thanking for her many years of faithful and dedicated service.

Over her lifetime Judy was a softball player, avid bridge aficionado, a master gardener, and a college basketball fan. 

She is survived by her spouse, Linda M. Lohn, of Ithaca, her sister, Heather Parsons and nephew Gregory, of Saugatuck Mi.; her niece Kimberly of Matewan, MI. ; and her grand-niece, Lauren Andersen of Grand Rapids MI, and her many close friends in Ithaca. She will be dearly missed.

Calling Hours will be held at Bangs Funeral Home in Ithaca on Friday, May 1, 2026 from 5:30-7:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the SPCA of Tompkins’s County and Hospice of Ithaca.