Judith Westbrook “Judye” James, age 84, passed away peacefully on March 3 surrounded in body and spirit by everyone who loved her.
Mrs. James was preceded in death by her loving and long-missed husband, Charles F. “Charlie” James Jr. and her parents, Mary Evelyn and Edwin Hodge, Mabel and John Westbrook, and her brother, Ed Westbrook.
Born on July 14, 1940, in Chattanooga, Mrs. James was a proud graduate of Chattanooga City High School and the University of Tennessee. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority, where she made lifelong friends.
Later in life, she reconnected with three sisters and they had an annual “catch up” lunch together for the last 15 years or so.
Loyalty was her favorite word. She was loyal to her family, her friends, her church, her university, and her community. She served all with love and a fierce determination to be involved, make friends, organize, and administrate.
Mrs. James was a devoted fan of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols basketball program. Her enthusiasm for the team was contagious, and she often could be seen in a Lady Vol T-shirt that said, “Impossible is Nothing.” She held immense respect and admiration for Pat Summitt’s leadership, dedication, competitiveness, and resilience, and she often spoke of her remarkable achievements and her positive impact on young girls and on women’s athletics.
Another passion of hers was the game of golf. Mrs. James belonged to clubs in Memphis and Knoxville, played in and won tournaments statewide, and was a member of both Memphis and Knoxville area women’s golf associations. She became an advocate for senior women golfers and was one of the founding members and 16-year president of the statewide Tennessee Golden Girls Golf Group. She loved nothing more than to play a round of golf on a beautiful day with her friends.
Mrs. James was a parishioner of All Saints Church in Knoxville, and she adored her Thursday morning Bible study group there.
Mrs. James was so proud of her family and was a strong, generous, common-sense mother and grandmother. She is survived by her daughters, Laura James Higdon (John) and Jennifer James Clark; her grandchildren, Eric Higdon (Carissa), Brooks Welk (Victoria), Taylor Welk (Hannah), Charlie Higdon, and Frances Higdon; and great-grandchildren, Kollins Welk, Juniper McCauley, Grayson Higdon, and Wyatt Welk.
There are not enough words of gratitude and love for the neighbors of Highgrove Gardens who enjoyed her pragmatic, no-nonsense style. They loved her and looked after her as they do all of their neighbors. It’s a very special place.
A funeral Mass for Mrs. James was celebrated on March 6 at All Saints. A burial service was held on March 8 at Forest Hill Memorial Park East in Memphis.
Donations in Mrs. James memory may be made to the University of Tennessee women’s athletics program, Girls Golf-Knoxville at Fairways & Greens, or Catholic Charities of East Tennessee. Kindly consider contributing financially or physically so that a young girl or woman can succeed in sports.
