Judy Kaye Brown passed away peacefully during the early evening of September 2, 2016. The world is now without this extremely caring, funny and loving human being.
Judy — who was born on July 26, 1951 — touched people’s lives in very special ways. She started by being the treasured little sister. She was so cute her family entered her in a beauty contest as a baby that she easily won.
She was the cool aunt the little kids looked up to. She taught her nieces and nephews to dance and sing to rock and soul music. She thought she had a voice like Cher, and everyone played along with her fantasy.
She was a loyal and funny companion, devoted yet demanding mother to her daughters and a proud grandmother of her grandson. Her friends knew just how much they meant to her because she made every person in her life feel special.
So many who knew her worked with her during her 30 years with the County of Santa Barbara and playing softball with her. If Judy was your friend, you were lucky. If you made her laugh the laugh that sent her head flying back, it really made your day.
Whenever Judy wanted to find a four-leaf clover, she would simply venture outside and find one … every time. She kept a lot of them pressed in her dictionary. She collected rocks, marbles and crystals, and treasured each one. Judy always carried one or two of those treasures with her in her pocket.
She saw the world through very spiritual eyes and a big, loving heart. She possessed a wonderful mixture of humor, sensitivity and stubbornness. Judy loved crazy colorful socks that she wore with her legendary penny loafers (which always had actual pennies in them, of course). She loved reading and music, tortilla chips and cupcakes.
Judy was proud that her Native American animal spirit guide was a sturgeon. A sign of ancestry and the passage of time, the sturgeon will always show you the truth. It signifies perception and intuition, and deepens your connection to dreams, emotions and psychic energies. This could explain the “four-leaf clover at will” thing.
One person can touch the hearts and lives of so many, and that is the essence of Judy Brown, AKA Downtown Judy Brown. There will never be another like her. Judy will be forever missed by so many who were fortunate enough to cross her path and benefit from her wisdom, friendship, humor and spirit. She was extraordinarily genuine. Her voice and laughter will be truly missed by all who cared for her.
Judy is survived by her long-time companion, Darlene Murphy; daughters April Edwards and Nicole Binckley; grandson Jesse Brown; and many other grandchildren. She is also survived by her sisters, Barbara Baldwin, Gail Houck and Mary Clay, and numerous nieces, nephews and friends who she considered family.
A Celebration of Judy’s Life will be held at 1 p.m. September 17, 2016, at the Lompoc Veterans Memorial Building, 100 E. Locust Ave. Please bring a dish to share as well as a photo and/or a story.