Judith Anne Stogner July 5th, 1942 - February 29, 2020
Judith Anne Stogner, 77, of Atlanta, died unexpectedly on February 29, 2020. Judith was born in 1942 in Homestead, Florida where her mother, Lucille, was awaiting the return of her husband, Hoyt Sr. who was in World War II. Growing up in Waco, Georgia, she earned a bachelor's degree from West Georgia College where she played intercollegiate volleyball and soccer and earned a masters degree from the University of Georgia. She taught science at Bremen Middle School and was a guidance counselor at Douglass High School in Atlanta. After leaving education Judith had a career in real estate which evolved into a passion for renovating houses. She was a pioneer in an industry dominated by males. Later she partnered with her brother Rance in 1986 in the formation of Buffalo Creek Construction Company. In 2001 her son Daniel joined the company. Throughout Judith oversaw the construction of houses all over intown Atlanta. Always active, Judith ran the Peachtree Road Race several times and participated in the Bike Ride Across Georgia. "Gluing things on things" was a favorite pastime as she pursued her hobby in mosaics. Instinctively generous with others, Judith was relentless in controlling the cost of her many projects, and had an uncanny knack for taking items discarded by others and incorporating them into her latest creations To travel with Judy was to be a little (or a lot) uneasy but trips with her were unforgettably rich. She had periodic dyslexia, reading "Keep Out," or "No Trespassing," as "Yes, We're Open, Come on in." Judy was a tireless and enthusiastic traveller. When her husband suggested a leisurely trip through Europe to Turkey, she insisted they start with a freighter voyage from Savannah to Morocco. Her trips took her to Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Greece, 3 times to Turkey, two times to Nepal and India, Iran, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Vietnam, Cambodia, and New Zealand. Judy possessed a rare ability to connect with and gain the cooperation of all who crossed her path from illiterate laborers to mortgage bankers, from immigrants to government bureaucrats. She connected quickly and deeply with children, toddlers to adolescents. Judy had a cadre of nieces, nephews, and others who became spotters and pickers for her notorious collection of creatures and their remains, bones, and desiccated bodies. Never afraid of dirt, Judy loved plants and filled her life with flowers and shades of green. She always had some agricultural and craft projects underway and her collections were legendary. Judy never passed up an opportunity to find more doorknobs, light fixtures, mantels, artifacts, jewelry, costumes, wigs, cowgirl boots and hats. Judy is survived by her husband of forty-eight years, Warren Pritchard, son Daniel (Dana), grandchildren Fiona and Hudson, brothers H.A., John David (Elaine), and Rance of Waco, Georgia, and sister Joan (Wayne) of St. Louis, Missouri. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Doctors Without Borders.