Obituary of Judith A. Matthews

Judith Alexander Matthews

February 10, 1942 – January 10, 2024

Judith “Judy” Matthews of South Orange and Belmar, NJ, passed away peacefully at Hackensack Meridian Hospital, Jersey Shore University Medical Center on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 with her loving family by her side. She was 81 years old. 

As a lifelong resident of South Orange and West Belmar, Judy lost her husband, Jack, in February of 2021. The two were neighbors growing up and first Holy Communion partners at Our Lady of Sorrows, and married for 56 years. Their three children Mariliz Loftus (Joe), John Matthews IV (Tammy), and Susan Apgood (Rick) gave them ten grandchildren John, Patrick, Courtney, Molly, Jack, Logan, Emma, Robert, Matthew, and Ricky.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John A. Matthews III, her parents, Grace (Hughes) and T. Walter Alexander, and brother Tom. She is survived by her brother Jack (Karen) and her cousin Nan Rizzo (Steve). 

Judy attended Marylawn of the Oranges, Marymount University and Seton Hall University. She was a member of the South Orange Rescue Squad for many years, and was a lieutenant on the squad for six of those years. She managed Dunhill Manor, a shared group home for older residents in South Orange for more than 15 years. She worked at the Essex County Department of Housing, and finished her career off working at Seniority Magazine, which she founded.

She loved to travel to London, Novia Scotia and Florida with her travel friends. She played in bridge groups and organized a “lunch bunch” with all her friends when she moved down the shore in 2021. The friends she made from grammar school through adulthood were the center of her life. Only to be surpassed by her greatest joy, her family. She loved having her kids, their spouses and her grandkids down the shore, hosting cookouts and making sure the coolers were well stocked for a day at the beach. She was truly one of a kind.

The family would like to thank the team at Hackensack Meridian, Jersey Shore. Especially Dr. Kelly Fitzpatrick and all the amazing nurses and patient care support at Hope Tower and Brennan 6.

Visitation will be held on Friday, January 12 from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Preston Funeral Home, 153 South Orange Avenue in South Orange. The Funeral Mass will be held at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 217 Prospect Street in South Orange at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 13, 2024, and live streamed at prestonfuneralhome.net  

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Benedict’s Prep in the Matthews Family Endowment at sbp.org or 520 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, Newark, NJ 07102-1314. The fund goes to students from St. Benedicts that would like to pursue a career in law.