We Say Goodbye to Sr. Judith Kay Campbell

Sr. Judith Kay Campbell, a Dominican Sister of San Rafael for 61 years, died peacefully on July 20. 2024. Abundantly creative, a spiritual companion to many, and deeply committed to contemplative ways of being, Sr. Judy inspired awe in others and was a blessing to the many lives she touched.

Born in Fresno, California, to Agnes Rose Ford Campbell and Herbert Parkhurst Campbell, as the eldest of five children, Sister Judy attended Stockton’s St. Gertude’s Elementary School, St. Mary’s High School, and Delta Community College. In the late 50s, Judy heard God’s voice asking her to live a religious life. She resisted for several years and then applied and was accepted into the novitiate in 1961. She took the religious name, Stephanie, but later returned to her baptismal name and became known as Sister Judy.

After her novitiate, Sister Judy began studies full-time at Dominican College, but her study was interrupted when she was assigned to teach primary grades. She completed her degree program with an interdisciplinary major in sociology and psychology after summer sessions. Her primary teaching experiences included years at St. John Vianney, Rancho Cordova; St. Isabella, Terra Linda; Annunciation, Stockton; and St. Michael’s, Livermore.

Since most of her teaching positions also included vocation ministry, it seemed a natural progression that in 1973, Sister Judy became the Formation Director for the congregation at the request of then-Prioress Sister Peter Damian Lang. Sister Judy spent a year at the Aquinas Institute in Dubuque, Iowa, preparing for the position—one she inherited at one of the most difficult periods in modern Church history. These were years of few vocations, institutional transitions, and serious questioning of the value of religious life. Holding on to the strong faith within her, Sister Judy emphasized the practice of prayer and union with God. With the Dominican Fathers at St. Albert’s in Oakland, she drew up a diploma program in Religious Studies. With participants from within the congregation and consultants and speakers from outside, she established a formation team as integral to the formation program.

A highlight of Sister Judy’s years in formation was serving on a team with general contractor Bruce Grant to design the renovation of the house of formation, Benincasa, in Berkeley. The Berkeley Historical Society gave her a prestigious award to recognize the incorporation of architect Julia Morgan’s spirit in the renovation.

Toward the end of her work in formation, Sister Judy became more and more drawn to work with the poor. She drew up a plan for a parish assistant in Sacred Heart parish in San Francisco and entered into a new ministry of pastoral spiritual coordinator. She worked with students from the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) and the Archdiocesan seminary and guided them in prayer, fieldwork, pastoral supervision, and spiritual direction. During the early 80s, she taught Biblical theology to the boys of St. Ignatius College Prep.

In her retirement years, all of her spiritual mentors—God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Mary, Mary Magdalene, St. Dominic, and St. Catherine of Siena—inspired her to live in her Inner Sanctuary in silence, and to be attentive to discerning their voices. She felt called to hear their messages, and then to deliver these messages to friends near and far, to the Sisters, and to the staff at Lourdes Convent, where Sister Judy resided during the last 18 years of her life. Even while battling her own health issues, she inspired all with her colorful and joyous spiritual artwork, poetry, and reflections on nature, God, and spirituality.

Sr. Judy’s spirit can be summarized by the words on the ring she wore: “Love,” in honor of her Irish ancestors; “Strength,” in honor of her Scottish ancestors; and “Souls,” in recognition of her religious commitment. Self-described as inquisitive and curious, she enjoyed spending time gazing at, and feeling natural phenomena, connecting with life’s mysteries. On her 60th Jubilee in 2023, she reflected on her ever-developing spirituality, sharing that “the phenomena of nature nourished me and enlivened me to live a very spontaneous, vibrant life. Therefore, I lived my life like that of a naturalist. John Muir was a wonderful influence; I spent time and absorbed his nature experiences, backpacking in the high Sierras and all along the California Coastal Ranges. Fishing became an important hobby to nurture my awe and wonder, increasing my profound gratitude for our Wondrous Creator. I have loved and continue to enjoy Nature which has developed my contemplative Spirit.”

As she neared the end of her days, the depth of appreciation for our “Wondrous Creator” grew and was shared outwardly in endless displays of creative pursuits, including craft and poetry. She found solace and joy in these creations, sharing (just a few days before passing), “I can rest patiently and reverently in my inner sanctuary where the Creative Spirit dwells and moves my spirit toward creative expression—an art piece, reflective writing, or an emerging poem. These expressions fill my spirit with a fullness of being, and I begin to dance, inwardly, blithesomely steeped in a fathomless joy moving my total being toward fullness of life.”

Sister Judy was preceded in death by her parents, Herbert Parkhurst Campbell and Agnes Rose Ford Campbell, and by her siblings, James Campbell and Stephen Campbell. Sister Judy is survived by her siblings, Janet Campbell, and William Campbell; her nieces, Christina Campbell, Stephanie Campbell, and Donna Vinocur; and by her Dominican Sisters.

The Mass of the Resurrection will take place on July 31, 2024, at 10:00 am in the Dominican Sisters Gathering Space (1520 Grand Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901). The Funeral Mass will be followed by a light lunch. Sister Judy will be buried in St. Dominic’s Cemetery in Benicia around 1 pm. All are welcome.

Memorial gifts in honor of Sister Judy may be made to the Retirement Fund, Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, Advancement Office, 1520 Grand Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901 and online at www.sanrafaelop.org/get-involved/ways-to-give.