Judith Loretta Deyoung

HAMILTON - Judith Loretta DeYoung , 78, of Hamilton, passed away on January 28, 2017 at the Providence Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane WA.  Judith was a beautiful, wonderful, talented wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend; she will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her. She was born on January 3, 1939 in Elk Rapids, Michigan the daughter of John Mariage & Dorothy Scott. The family lived in rapid City and Judith  attended high school there. Growing up on the edge of a small town in Northern Michigan, she was free to explore the acres of fields, woods, hills and streams and lakes around the little town village. She fished and hunted with family and friends, enjoying wildlife and loved being surrounded by nature.

Judith attended college at Michigan State University in 1956 where she studied Art History. It was at college where Judy met Bob, the love of her life. They were married March 28, 1958 in Alden, MI. Moving to Muncie, IN in 1959 for a short time where Jessica was born. Shortly after, they moved to Clearwater, FL in 1960 where their second daughter, Jennifer, was born in 1962.  In 1980, Judith and Bob purchased a log house on Lost Horse Creek in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley in Hamilton MT.

Judith fell in love with Montana and its people, visiting Montana every summer or fall every year since 1972.  They moved permanently to Montana in 1989 from Florida where they lived for 30 years.  She and Bob have fished and hunted from the Caribbean and Central America to Alaska and many areas of the United States and Canada.  Judith was always creating something or learning a new form of art or craft. She loved teaching her love of art not only to her grandchildren but to others. She was an accomplished scratchboard artist of wildlife paintings and beautifully created trout gourds. In recent years she had returned to her love of oil painting.

Judith had many interest including judging art at the Hamilton fair. Judith is a member of the Montana Professional Artist Assoc, she was a president and member of the Fine Arts and Cultural Center Trident Society of Dunedin, FL and a Chairman of Junior Service League of Dunedin, FL.  She won numerous awards in national miniature art society and won awards in many wildlife and western art shows including; Southeastern wildlife expo, Charleston, SC, the Southern wildlife Festival, Decatur, FL, International Wildlife Art Show, Clearwater, FL, Western Heritage Show, Great Falls, MT, Spokane Western Art Show in Spokane, WA, Art At The Beach in Lincoln OR, Treasure State Art Show in Hamilton MT and others.  Contributions to wildlife and natural resource Organizations include; The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Foundation for North America Wild Sheep, Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Assoc., Trouts Unlimited and several other wildlife and Park organizations.

Judith is survived by her husband Robert DeYoung of Hamilton MT; two daughters, Jessica L. Guber of San Diego, CA and Jennifer and husband James Lloyd of Helena, MT; two grandchildren Travis W. Ray of Bozeman, MT and Lana L. Guber of San Diego , CA; one sister Carol Medina of Mexico City, Mexico. She was preceded in death by her brother John Mariage Jr. and parents John and Dorothy Mariage.

Funeral Services will be announced later in the spring. The family asks that memorials be made to the charity of your choice.