“Judy Kay Stover Oakes would like to let you know that after 79 years, her work here is done.  She will be watching over you from heaven, so be good.”

   That’s as far as she got in writing her own obituary, at least all we could find.  She always said she would write it herself, but like dozens of art projects, this too, will be left to us to finish.

   Judy Kay Stover Oakes was born June 14, 1941, in Centralia, Illinois, to Howard “Smokey” Stover and Thelma Cooper Stover LeClear.   She was their only daughter, a middle child between two brothers whom she loved dearly.  Judy spent her childhood moving around Illinois and Michigan due to her father’s job and graduated from East Richland High School in Olney, Illinois, in 1959.

   In 1961, she met Donald Leon Oakes while dancing with friends (and her mom!) at The Blue Note in Albion, Michigan.  It was a fast courtship, and on September 16, 1961, they were married by her grandfather at the First Baptist Church in Albion, Michigan.

   Don’s work for Halliburton soon took them to Port Huron, Michigan, and then quickly to Fort Bragg, North Carolina when Don was drafted into the Army.  There, they had their daughter, Robin Kay Oakes Atwood, in November 1962.  In April 1964, Don was discharged from the 82nd Airborne and Electronics Special Warfare Board of the Army and was transferred to work for Halliburton in Flora, Illinois, where they lived for 25 years. 

   During their time in Flora, Judy had a son, Jeffrey Don Oakes, in June 1967.  Judy was well-known in Flora for her striking looks (jet black beehive, dark olive skin, bright cobalt eyes, tall thin figure), and for the vibrancy she brought to all around her.  In Flora, she was known for many things:  being voted Quasquicentennial Queen; fitting thousands for glasses as an optician at Dr. John B. Jaycox’s office; and for decorating windows at The Country Squire in downtown Flora, to name but a few.  She was a regular coffee drinker at The Ranch Steakhouse, where she laughed until she cried, and occasionally cried until she laughed.  She attended the First Baptist Church of Flora, where she sang in multiple cantatas (her favorite was Old Time Religion), was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority, and had a hand in starting the Elderwalk and Appleknocker Festival in Flora.  In 1978, Judy became a grandmother, and was soon known as “Judy” and “Mimi” to those who loved her most.

   Don declined multiple promotions at Halliburton throughout the years due to Judy’s refusal to move her kids during their school years (as she had done as a child), but in 1989, Don’s job at Halliburton moved them to Shreveport, Louisiana, and eventually, to Oklahoma City.  They stayed in Oklahoma until Don was 3 blocks from the Oklahoma City Bombing and they both decided it was time for retirement to their favorite vacation spot: Fort Myers Beach, Florida. 

   In 1995, after vacationing on Estero Island for over 25 years, they started living the “Salt Life” in Fort Myers Beach - first, in a condominium, where they established a fun friend group, and after a year, to a cottage on the bay - a fixer upper that, with Don’s craftsmanship and Judy’s vision, they beautifully rebuilt.  Judy’s lifelong goal had been to live on the beach, and she thoroughly enjoyed her slice of paradise.  She lived a rich life in Florida - painting, selling artwork, working for the Chamber of Commerce, and welcoming family and friends to her humble cottage on the beach.  Their cottage is not large by today’s standards, but her beauty and artistic flair touches every surface, and it was her heart’s desire to make her cottage as unique and welcoming as she was.

   Throughout life and locations, Judy was known as a talented artist.  From her artwork shirts (in the 80s!), to her woodworking collaborations with Don; from oils to watercolors; Judy could always find a way to make everything whimsical and beautiful.  Her work has been commissioned and sold, and she would tell you, “hung in bathrooms all over the world!”  She loved to joke that she created bathroom art, pieces good enough for the loo, but not for the dining room.  She always looked at the world as a project she wanted to make pretty, and what we saw as scraps, junk, and trash, she envisioned as treasures and artwork.   

   Judy painted her life with color and laughter, making friends at every town, perfume counter, and beach shop she visited.  She lived for vibrancy, always wanting more out of life than what she had, always making the things in her world more beautiful.  She loved the beach, the sun, the waves, but mostly, she loved laughing with her family and friends.

   Judy died November 24, 2020, in Healthpark Hospital (not of COVID!), being loved, hugged, and cherished by those she cherished most in life.  She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, Glenn Edward Stover and Michael David Stover; and many beloved friends - all who, we know, welcomed her to heaven with love, tears, and plenty of laughter.       

   Her heartbroken survivors include: Don Oakes, Robin (Bill) Atwood, Jeff (Libbie) Oakes, Matthew (Tracy) Atwood, Shannon (John) Hurliman, Nathan (Courtney) Atwood, Laura (James) Beeson, Dillon (Katie) Oakes, Taylor Oakes, and Mychal Atwood.  She was beloved by 10 great-grandchildren who will forever miss her silly ways, and an innumerable amount of friends who are considered family.

   A funeral ceremony will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, December 5, 2020, at Frank & Bright Funeral Home in Flora.  Interment will follow in Elmwood Cemetery, Flora.  Visitation will be Friday evening, December 4, 2020, from 4-7 p.m at the funeral home.  In accordance with an Illinois mandate masks will be required, and social distancing guidelines will be followed.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Clay County Animal Rescue and Shelter (CCARS) or to the Judy Oakes Art Scholarship Fund in care of the Flora Academic Foundation and will be accepted through the funeral home.  To share a memory or condolence visit: www.frankandbright.com