Judith Ann Terwilliger, 83, of St. Petersburg, Florida, passed away peacefully on November 1st, 2025.  

Judy was born on April 25th, 1942, in Jersey City, NJ, to the late Claire and Michael Tytus. She was the eldest daughter and grew up with a deep admiration for her mother and her aunts, Stell, Gert, and Jenny.  

She attended Norfolk Catholic High School, then went on to earn a degree in Education from Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. She dedicated her life to teaching students and was an English teacher at Pinellas County Schools for 30 years, instructing at Tyrone Middle School, Boca Ciega High School, and Northeast High School in St. Petersburg, FL. She was admired throughout the community as an inspiring educator and a trailblazer of change and was known for creating spaces that were welcome to all.   

Judy was a devoted mother, grandmother, and daughter, pouring love into every person in her life. In her free time, she enjoyed writing poetry, reading, walking local park, Sawgrass, feeding the birds and squirrels, and was politically active in her community.  

She is survived by her daughter, Misa; son and daughter-in-law, Thomas and Megan; granddaughters, Kaitlyn and Madelyn; grandson, Kidd; and her furry relatives, Angel, Eve, Lily, and Annie.  

Judy was preceded in death by her parents, Claire and Michael, and brother, Robert.  

A celebration of life will be held on January 3rd, 2026, between 5pm-8pm at the Vista at the Top at the Residence Inn, 214 Madonna Blvd, Tierra Verde, FL 33715. 

Ultimately, Judy believed in the power of reading and knowledge. Strong, independent, and unwavering in her beliefs, she found her greatest peace in writing. Through her Haiku poems she captured meaningful moments and generously shared them with others. Below are some of Judy’s own poems shared as a final reflection of her voice, spirit, and the beauty she saw in the world: 

becoming everything I see... flowers blooming everywhere 

 

in this nights darkness 

a fledglings first 

flutterings 

heralding new life 

 

granddaughters all 

grown… 

now only the glue of our 

love remains