It is with sadness, we share that Judith Folio Laz, nee Judith Lynn Folio, 76, passed away on August 14, 2023 after a courageous decade-long fight with Alzheimer’s.
She was the daughter of the late Marjorie Beam and Peter Folio, wife of Peter Laz, mother of Peter Jr. (Melinda Laz), Jeffrey (Jennifer Laz), and Kerrin Laz (Mark Thoma), grandmother of Maya, Allison, Jonathan and Nolan Laz, sister of Barbara (the late Wes) Hoddick, Joyce (Edward) Thompson, and the late Cynthia (Larry) Eskwith, and sister-in-law of Joanne (Douglas) Browell.
Judith (Judy) was born in New Haven, Connecticut on January 17, 1947. She grew up and attended high school in Port Jefferson, New York and graduated from Elmira College. She was married for 54 years to Peter Laz, who she met in high school. She was an elementary school teacher for 34 years, primarily at Briarcliff Elementary in Shoreham, New York. She resided in Wading River and Greenport, New York and Redington Shores, Florida.
We take joy in the memories of her life well lived. She was a warm and caring person, a devoted spouse, and a loving and supportive mother. She was strongly committed to family and loved being with her immediate and extended family to celebrate holidays, birthdays and to spend time with grandchildren. As a teacher, she instilled in her students a love for reading and learning, and impacted many children’s lives with gifts of books, even after retiring. Judy enjoyed gardening (she had a green thumb both indoors and outdoors with everything she grew) and baking (apple pie, the holiday Christmas bombe, and cream puffs were among her specialties). She also liked sweets and her favorite “medicine” was dark chocolate covered cherries. After retiring, she worked part-time at Sweet Indulgences in Greenport, New York. She loved walking on the beach, both on Long Island and in Florida, always finding special stone or shell treasures to bring home.
Over time, Alzheimer’s took away her ability to live independently, to walk, and to speak. Yet, she remained a warm person and her face would light up with a smile for a familiar face. Our family is incredibly grateful to the staff at Season’s Belleair Memory Care in Clearwater, Florida for their care and support over the last 4 years.
Please direct donations to Inspire Napa Valley (www.inspirenapavalley.org), which was founded by Kerrin to honor her mother, and raise funds to support Alzheimer’s research and enhance care for those living with the disease. A private celebration of life will be held for family and close friends.
