Judy Nevins LeHardy

We celebrate and honor Judy LeHardy. Devoted wife, loving mother, very proud Mema to her many grands and great grands, and dear friend to so many. She was born Judy Powell to Ruth Clevenger Powell and Frank Milton Powell in Plainfield, New Jersey on June 28, 1937. After losing her father when she was just 3, her mother remarried widower Joseph H. Nevins, a long-time friend, naval officer, and member of the Naval Academy Class of 1925. Ruth and daughter Judy moved to Belle Haven, Virginia (near Alexandria) and joined Joseph and his two children, Joe and Maude. Together they formed a new family in the tenuous wartime era. With this change in Judy's life, her time as a "Navy brat" commenced and she quickly formed life-long bonds with her new siblings. Judy attended St. Agnes Episcopal School for Girls, graduating in 1955. Her connections to her Clevenger and Powell relatives in New Jersey remained strong as she spent magical summers in Seaside Park, New Jersey, sailing on Barnegat Bay with cousins. One night at a cotillion dance at the Fort Myer Officers' Club, Judy caught the eye of a handsome young West Point cadet, Ward LeHardy. He pursued her with uncanny focus and a date soon followed. Judy and Ward's romance continued through the seasons, with her now at Sweet Briar College and him a Firstie at West Point. One thing led to another, and their young love culminated in a wedding at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Alexandria on November 10, 1956. Ward was a newly commissioned 2nd Lieutenant Infantry Officer and Judy his beautiful bride. She was just nineteen when she began her new life as an Army wife. Ward's first assignment was in South Korea, leaving a pregnant Judy in Annapolis, Maryland to wait for the birth of their first child, Sara (Sally), with Judy's parents and Ward's mother Sara nearby to provide support. This young Army family would grow and move over the next 35 years while Ward and Judy served their country. Throughout their time in the Army, Judy managed 21 household moves with style and grace and a never-ending enthusiasm. Stops along the way included Annapolis, Maryland; Fort Campbell, Kentucky (where son Ward, Jr. was born); Camp Zama, Japan (welcome baby Marcel); Annapolis again (while Ward served a first tour in Vietnam), Ft. Lewis, Washington; West Point, New York (enter Peter, the final child and first redhead); Annapolis a third time (while Ward went to Vietnam for a second tour); Norfolk and Fairfax, Virginia; Berlin, Germany; Mainz, Germany; Vicenza, Italy; Carlisle, Pennsylvania; the Panama Canal Zone; Fredericksburg, Virginia; Ft. Carson, Colorado; and finally Ft. McPherson, Georgia. She made each house a 'home' for her family, each beautifully decorated and filled with love, as well as wonderful aromas coming from the kitchen. The Army was as much her career as it was Ward's. She welcomed her role as Army wife and worked hard to attend to the needs of military wives and their families as they made adjustments to new Army posts. She regularly volunteered with the Red Cross and served as Den Mother and Girl Scout Leader. She hosted countless dinner parties, teas and coffees as was expected of Army officer's wives at the time. Her meticulous record keeping attempted to ensure no dinner guest ever tasted the same meal twice! Ward's eventual promotion to Brigadier General was recognition of her contributions as well. Judy was a lifelong learner, reader and lover of the arts. In whichever country they were living, she would apply herself to learn the language. Having a strong command of French from her high school years, she added the study of Japanese, German and Italian as she lived in those countries. She took college courses at different postings, and in her mid-forties proudly finished and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN in 1982. Her family, including her first grandchild, proudly attended her graduation. Judy was intentional in being physically fit. An accomplished golfer, she made a hole in one at Ft. Amador in the Panama Canal Zone. She was a runner and in later years won a race in the over-50 age division. She carried her love of sailing as a youngster into life with Ward, owning a sailboat whenever they were stationed near water. After their Army life ended, Judy and Ward would embark on an adventure of a lifetime in 1991...circumnavigating the globe together on a 39-foot sailboat. It was her utmost confidence in her husband that removed all fear for Judy as she set sail with him for a 5-year, 33,000-mile epic adventure. Their combined skills would see them through. Ward was Captain, but he always referred to Judy as "the Admiral"! She was a strong partner with him aboard their trusty cutter Cormorant...taking night watches, hoisting sails, and raising and dropping anchor as the two of them made their way around the world. She also provided hot meals in the most distant locations...all with an ease and grace that is hard to fathom. Old friends joined them, and new ones were made world-wide as they went. Their annual Christmas card list grew to an international group of over 400 people. She would also track each day's events in a journal, amassing 15 notebooks. She and Ward eventually documented their epic journey in a book entitled 'Once Around: Fulfilling a Life-long Dream to Sail Around the World.' They would take one more trip around the world as Ward turned 80 years old and Judy 76...this time by trains, planes and cruise ship. Ward and Judy's final chapter together was lived out in Kilmarnock, Virginia on the Chesapeake Bay, where they lived for 2 decades, their longest running address. They were both active in the community, endearing themselves to many more friends. During these years, the waterfront home would be filled at holidays and during the summer with their kids and their families, including grandkids and great-grands who were starting to arrive. Through it all Judy, aka Mema, was at the center of the action. Sailing would continue to be a passion and the love for it was passed on to children and grandchildren and is a legacy that continues to this day. While in Kilmarnock, Ward and Judy celebrated 60 years of marriage in 2016 with their entire family. Judy also worked alongside Ward to help establish the Light of Christ Anglican Church in nearby Heathsville, a labor of love for both of them. Following Ward's death in 2019, Judy moved to Crozet, Virginia - trading her waterfront view near the Chesapeake Bay for a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains from her apartment at The Lodge at Old Trail, near the home of her daughter Sally. During these years Judy remained actively engaged with her community and enjoyed many wonderful gatherings with family, including what would be her final visit last summer to their beloved cottage on Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Judy was a strong Christian. She was baptized, confirmed, educated and married in the Episcopal Church. Later in life she became a born-again Christian and read the Bible that had been on her shelf for years - cover to cover - with renewed energy. Her faith would give her joy and comfort for the rest of her life. Judy is survived by her four children and their spouses, Sally (Mark) Barstow of Crozet, VA, Ward (Debbie) of Arlington, VA, Marcel (Nancy) of Roanoke, VA and Peter (Becky) of Annapolis, MD. She was also the beloved Mema to 15 grand-kids and 8 great-grandchildren (including one on the way!). Funeral services will be held at 10:30 am on Friday, January 12th at the Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland, followed by a brief graveside service at the Naval Academy Cemetery, and a reception at the Naval Academy Club. An online guestbook is available at www.compassionatecremationva.com Compassionate Cremation Services of Ruckersville, VA is handling the arrangements.

Judy Nevins LeHardy

June 28, 1937 - November 22, 2023