Judy Cain passed away on Thursday, September 8, 2022. She is survived by her husband of 41 years, Leonard Olson, and their children Andrea Olson and Isaak Olson.
Judy was the first-born daughter of Vera and Guy Cain. Guy was an electrical engineer at Long Beach State University. After Judy and her sister Laurel were born, Vera went back to school to become an attorney and practiced law for the remainder of her life. Judy grew up in Orange County, graduated from high school at age 16, and received her bachelor’s degree when she was 19, before moving to U.C. Davis for graduate school. It was as a graduate philosophy student at Davis that she met Leonard in 1977. Judy and Leonard married in 1981 and later moved to Turlock.
Judy taught philosophy at Modesto Junior College for over thirty years and was a beloved teacher. She led the MJC Honor Society and became lifelong friends with countless students. Judy was active in her community—she served as a Turlock City Arts Commissioner, and as a volunteer with various charitable organizations and political campaigns. She was a proud supporter of Townsend Opera Players and the Prospect Theater Project. All the while, Judy was highly involved in her children’s activities, attending hundreds of swim meets, water polo games, musical rehearsals, violin lessons, and choir concerts.
Anyone who ever met her got joy from Judy’s smile. She laughed often and smiled with her whole entire face. She loved to read. She was a masterful editor. She was an animal lover. She loved spending time with friends, playing cards and arguing about politics or sitting on the patio discussing theories of human existence. She loved to travel and would spend hours planning every detail of her vacations with Leonard and her mother Vera. But by far the greatest love of Judy’s life were her children. She was immensely proud of Andrea’s legal career and one of her greatest joys was getting to see Isaak sing and perform. In every conversation she found ways to brag about her children.
Judy and Leonard made a perfect pair. Judy was an advocate of logic and was rational to a fault (as if that were possible). Leonard added a love of history and the humanities to their shared knowledge. Their philosophical discussions could go on for hours, much to the amusement of their children. Besides their intellectual partnership, Judy and Leonard were ideal life companions, perfectly suited to one another. More than partners, they were genuine besties.
The family will hold a celebration of Judy’s life on Saturday, October 1, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. at the Carnegie Arts Center in Turlock. All are welcome.
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