Judith Gill

Judith Nutting Strong Gill, born December 1937 in Boston, Massachusetts, peacefully passed away on July 31, 2025. She leaves behind a legacy of compassion, curiosity, and boundless generosity that touched everyone fortunate enough to know her.

Judith grew up in the heart of Concord, where she developed a lifelong love of reading, music, and theater. After graduating from Concord High School, she attended Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, earning her bachelor’s degree in 1959. Even as a student, she volunteered at local events, setting the tone for a life dedicated to helping others.

In 1960, Judith married her childhood sweetheart, David Chaloner Gill. When David embarked on a naval career, Judith embraced each new posting—from Naples to San Diego to Tokyo to Honolulu and finally to Pensacola—as an opportunity to learn about different cultures and forge lasting friendships. Her warm hospitality made every naval base feel like home, with family, colleagues, and neighbors gathering at the Gill residence for lively dinner parties and celebrations.

Exploring the world was more than a pastime for Julie; it was her passion. She kept meticulous scrapbooks of every trip—photos, ticket stubs, postcards—from tea ceremonies in Japan to the many cruises she and David took. Wherever she lived, she rolled up her sleeves to volunteer: teaching English to newcomers, and organizing fundraisers for naval/military families in need. Equally devoted to the arts, she appeared in and directed numerous of community theater productions.

Judith’s entrepreneurial spirit shone through in her professional ventures. For several years she worked as a travel agent, crafting personalized itineraries and sharing her expertise with eager travelers. While in Hawaii, she began her crafting career making Hawaiian dolls that captured the Aloha spirit. For many years in the mid-1990’s, she ran “The Mama Bear Shoppe” where every item—from wreaths to teddy bears—bore her signature attention to quality and design.

Julie’s kindness was matched only by her generosity. She could recall everyone’s birthday, always had a stuff animal for someone in need, and make her cheese shortbreads on demand. She and David raised two children and have been blessed with one granddaughter. Julie is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Monica and Greg Smith; her granddaughter and her husband, Melia and Nik Dreissig; and her son and daughter-in-law, Benjamin Chaloner-Gill and Sandra Weymouth. All carry forward her warmth, resilience, and zest for life.

A celebration of Julie’s life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to be made to the USO in her honor (https://www.uso.org/donate/memorial-donation), an organization close to Judith’s heart.

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --                                                                                                                                                                           I took the one less traveled by,                                                                                                                                                                                       and that has made all the difference."                                                                                                                                                                             --Robert Frost