Judith Marie Cooper Williams

Some people spend a lifetime searching for their calling. Judy found hers as a little girl.

Born on August 6, 1940, in Rochester, New York, to Erna Jean Cooper Wilson and George Cooper, Judy was lovingly raised by her mother and stepfather, Robert Wilson, alongside her sisters, Sharon Keller and Maureen Selig. She was a happy child who loved to dance, laugh, and read. At ten years old, she spent hours playing with her dolls and doll buggies, but within a few short years she traded her dolls for books, becoming an exceptionally fast reader with an endless curiosity. One of her favorite pastimes was riding her bicycle with her dear friend, Judy Riley, to the local hospital to watch the ambulances arrive. Fascinated by the nurses who rushed to care for people in need, Judy knew she had found her purpose.

At just thirteen years old, she begged the nuns at the hospital to let her volunteer. They finally said yes, and that simple act marked the beginning of a lifelong calling that would define the next seven decades of her life. She later became a "Pink Lady" volunteer before graduating from St. Mary's School of Nursing in Rochester, launching a remarkable career that would touch countless lives.

Nursing was never simply Judy's profession—it was who she was.

Throughout her distinguished career, Judy served as both a Registered Nurse and later as a respected nursing administrator. Never content to stop learning, she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Nursing from Chapman College later in life, demonstrating her belief that education and personal growth never truly end. She became known not only for her exceptional clinical skills, but for her compassionate heart, calm leadership, and unwavering commitment to every patient entrusted to her care. She had an extraordinary gift for making people feel safe, comforted, and genuinely cared for during some of life's most difficult moments.

Judy's dedication to serving others earned her numerous honors, including the FRIST Humanitarian Award in 2007. She was also recognized for her outstanding leadership of the volunteer program at Los Robles Hospital, where she inspired and mentored countless volunteers. Her commitment to caring extended well beyond the hospital walls as she organized and participated in annual community flu shot clinics. Together with her husband, she also volunteered as a nurse at YMCA Residence Camp Dickson, generously caring for campers and families. Whether she was working in the hospital, volunteering in the community, or helping a neighbor, Judy never stopped being a nurse.

Above all else, Judy was devoted to her family. She was a dedicated wife to her husband James E. Williams, and the loving mother of Mark Robert Dominguez (and his wife Denise), Elisabeth (Lisa) Jean McCann, and Andrew Thomas Dominguez (and his fiance Denise). She cherished every moment with her grandchildren: Danielle Marie Peterson, Justin Andrew Dominguez, Allison Dominguez, Jeffrey Beirow, Jared Beirow, Callie Beirow, Kiersten Musitelle, Samantha Wachter, Jenna Booth, and Sarah Furlong. She was equally proud of her great-grandchildren, Margaret Jean Peterson, Daniel Dominguez, Scarlett Hicks, David Furlong, Isoline Furlong, Harper Booth, and Everett Booth, each of whom brought her immeasurable joy.

Judy passed peacefully at her home in Newbury Park, California, surrounded by the love of her family.

Those who knew Judy will remember far more than the awards she received or the positions she held. They will remember her warm smile, compassionate heart, generous spirit, love of dancing, sharp wit, delightful sassiness, mischievous sense of humor, and her remarkable ability to make everyone around her feel valued. She believed every person deserved kindness, dignity, and compassion, and she lived those values every day of her life.

The little girl who rode her bicycle to the hospital to watch ambulances never lost sight of her dream. She answered that calling at thirteen years old and faithfully lived it every day for the rest of her life. Her legacy lives on in the family she loved, the nurses she mentored, the volunteers she inspired, and the countless patients whose lives were made better because Judy chose to care.

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Church Funeral Service will be held on August 1, 2026 at 10am   |   St. Julie Billiart Church  |   2475 Borchard Rd, Newbury Park, CA 91320

Reception immediately following in the Fellowship Hall