Judith A. Powers

Obituary: Judith Ann Powers — Beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother and Community Volunteer

Judith A. Powers, age 84, known affectionately as Judy to everyone who knew her, passed away peacefully at CVPH Medical Center on March 19, 2026, in the company of her family. She was born on July 19, 1941, in Merril, NY, the first child of Lewis Howard and Virginia A. Grew. She was predeceased by her husband and life-long partner, Ronald M. Powers, who passed on November 7, 2021, the same day of their 59th wedding anniversary.

Judy is survived by her brother, Lewis Kenneth Grew, Jr.; daughter, Stephanie Powers-Grobholz; granddaughters, Holly N. Grobholz & Laura Leigh Grobholz; niece, Ann Marie Grew, and several other Powers-related family members. She is known and remembered for her pure humanitarian nature, unselfish love of family and friends, thoughtfulness, generosity, tireless energy, deep devotion to community and her commitment overall to supporting and helping others.

Growing up in tightly-knit Adirondack communities (Chateauguay Lake, Lyon Mountain and Standish), Judy cared for her friends and community members as if they were extended family. She believed early on that people in small communities all truly need and depend on each other. Judy and her husband Ron both graduated together from Lyon Mt. High School in 1958. Because of her caring and gregarious nature, she was quite popular with her peers in high school and was elected to student council and prom queen. Both she and Ron carried on their childhood friendships and school leadership roles throughout their lives. For 50+ years, they happily planned and organized annual high school reunions and participated in countless community, church & fundraising events in Lyon Mountain. Their 50th wedding anniversary was a combined celebration, reunion and fundraiser for the Lyon Mt. Mining and Railroad Museum.

After graduation, Judy preferred to begin her business career right away in lieu of attending college. She had an entrepreneurial nature, having learned small business management from her grandfather Grew, who owned and operated a grocery store and gas station which served the Chateaugay Lake community. At 19, she began working as a bookkeeper at a pharmacy/retail store in Plattsburgh. After marrying Ron in 1962, she dedicated 10 years to being a homemaker and raising her only child, Stephanie. In

the mid 70s, she re-started her career at a wholesale distributor, Plattsburgh Grocery Co., where she began working as a bookkeeper. Over her 20 year tenure, she was ultimately promoted many times and retired as assistant manager.

A staple in both the Plattsburgh and various Adirondack communities, Judy was rarely seen without a smile and a community project in hand. After her retirement in 1995, she dedicated nearly three decades of her life volunteering at the Lyon Mountain Mining and Railroad Museum. Judy was involved from its inception, attending the original Museum board meetings in the late 1990s, and managing communications as Board Secretary. She wasn't just a part of the organization, she helped build it. She and Ron both had multiple roles and myriad responsibilities before, during and after the door was first opened to the public in 2005. In her 28+ years of service, Judy gave so much of her personal time as a dedicated volunteer and team leader: soliciting donations and cataloging archives, preparing and organizing exhibits & signage, managing museum correspondence, bookkeeping, organizing and participating in fundraisers and sales of museum merchandise, giving tours, working the front desk every summer and fall, and much more. No job was too big or too small — both she and Ron happily contributed countless hours of their time (year-round) helping make the museum become what it is today. They were both fluent in the region’s rich history and were devoted to its preservation. From the early days to its current vast collection of historic artifacts, photos and exhibits, the Museum was a labor of love for them both —a legacy dedicated to the town and the generations of people who lived and worked there.

In 2019, Judy received a special award for 25 years of volunteer service at CVPH Medical Center. Her hospital friends and co-workers remember Judy for her camaraderie and unwavering commitment to making a difference. She had numerous responsibilities over two decades, rotating from one department to another, evolving with the needs of the growing hospital (Fundraising, Patient Surveys, Administration, CVPH Foundation, Marketing and Communications), and ultimately working as assistant to the Director of Volunteer Services. One of her favorite events was the annual children’s Easter egg hunt. She and Ron filled thousands of eggs with candy and trinkets over the years! Judy found great joy in her volunteer work where she brought the same dedication to it as she did to both her personal and professional life.

Judy enjoyed hobbies such as gardening and cooking, and eventually gravitated towards passionately researching family genealogy. Above all, her favorite pastime was spending every spring, summer and fall at the family cabin on Union Falls Pond.

From 1975 to 1995, three generations of family and friends shared many treasured moments with Judy and Ron at “camp” — family cookouts & camp fires, boating, swimming, fishing, and bird watching (especially American bald eagles and Common Loons). Judy and Ron even did winter camping using a wooden toboggan to carry in supplies across 2+ feet of snow from the main road. Camp was the true beloved family home that always remained dearest in her heart and ours.

Above all, Judy was a true “people person,” past, present and future. She cherished her family, ancestors and friends, both old and new. She was always happiest with a group of people. After her granddaughters arrived, her life began anew. She was a very loving and generous grandparent, as she was a wife, mother, sister, cousin and aunt. Holly and Laura cherish her memory and are tremendously thankful for the many years of experiences they had with both their grandparents. We are all so thankful to Judy and Ron for the wonderful memories they leave with us all. Although we grieve their loss and miss them both dearly, we are greatly comforted knowing they are both reunited in Heaven once again.


Service Information:

A celebration of Judy’s life will be held at Brown Funeral Home in Plattsburgh at eleven a.m. through one p.m. on Friday June 29, 2026, with burial services to follow at Union Cemetery in Moores Forks.

NOTE: For those unable to attend, the funeral home offers a LIVESTREAM of the memorial service. See the corresponding link on this webpage.

The family is preparing a slideshow of cherished family photographs celebrating Judith’s long and deeply meaningful life. The slideshow will be presented during the funeral service. Please forward photos to Stephanie and/or Holly.

Memorials:

In lieu of flowers, the family is accepting donations which will be used for memorials both at CVPH Medical Center and the Lyon Mountain Mining and RR Museum. Another wonderful way to honor Judy’s memory is by volunteering your time to a favorite local charity.

Please visit
Ronald M Powers March 4, 1941 — November 7, 2021
https://www.brownfuneralhomeny.com/obituaries/ronald-powers