Byrd, Judith Ann

Judith (Judy) Ann Hice (Byrd) 73 years old, passed away Wednesday, February 8, 2017 at 10:50 A.M in Paducah, KY. Judith was a native of Kalamazoo, MI having been born August 4, 1943 and more recently a resident of Cocoa, FL where she lived with her husband Ronald Hice (also from Kalamazoo) until his death, at which time she moved to Southern Illinois to live n...ear her daughter. Judith resisted and fought complications arising from severe rheumatoid arthritis for several years until finally succumbing. Shortly after the birth of her fourth child, Judy and her young children spent several years traveling extensively throughout the Western United States. Judy loved nature, and as an avid photographer, she captured it all. Over the years many of the pictures became lost but the memories remained as clear to Judy as the day she photographed them. Eventually, Judy and her children left Colorado behind and returned to Michigan where they then settled in Kentwood, and she later married Ernest Estrada from Grand Rapids, together they raised her four children. Judy was employed with the Meijer Corporation until she retired and moved to Florida. In addition to her love of nature and photography, Judy had an appetite for knowledge, primarily history. Judy had built a small library of her own through the years and considered it to be among her favorite possessions. Even towards the end of her life, she continued to educate herself through books, at the time of her passing, she was reading a historical account of the Barbary Pirates. Judy was driven by factual information and knowledge. Which is how she found her lifelong passion, genealogy. Judy spent decades meticulously tracking and documenting her family's origins, eventually verifying her ancestors arrival on the Mayflower. Judy became a member of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants and her methodology for documentation was included in the March 2010 volume of the Mayflower Quarterly. Judy was also a member of the Daughter's of the American Revolution (DAR). Her research came to a standstill when she began to get ill, one can only imagine how much further she could have traced her lineage. Judy is preceded in death by her parents Robert Byrd and Nina M. Byrd; her husband Ronald Hice; her son Timothy Estrada; and her sister Pamela Geren-Brady (Byrd). She is survived by her brother Robert (Isabelle) Byrd, sisters Carolyn (Bill) Hazelgrove and Debbie (Kurt) Radabaugh, her children Kelly Reed, Kimberly (Wade) Humm, Christopher Stafford, her grand-children Cody Reed, Lauren Reed, RI Humm, Grace (Tim) Carter; Justin Stafford; Ashleigh (Zac) Bleyerveld; Aaron Stafford; Elise Stafford; Ryan Stafford. In addition, six great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Judy, and her wealth of knowledge will be missed every day, forever.