June 12, 1938 - April 18, 2024

Judith Cameron was born in New York City June 12, 1938, and died April 18, 2024. When she was about 7, her parents moved to the Philadelphia area where Judy entered and remained in the public school system through high school. She then loved 4 years at Brown University, where she graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1959. Hoping for an interesting future, she took the Law School Aptitude test, and enrolled in the University of Michigan Law School in the Fall of 1959. She and Kent Whittaker, then a senior at the school, met, fell in love, and married 4 months later at mid semester. Judy finished her first year at Michigan, and, when Kent graduated in Spring 1960, she and Kent moved to Kansas City, where she enrolled in law school at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Taking a year out to teach 6^th grade at the Hartman School and give birth to her son, Chuck, Judy then resumed law school, giving birth to her daughter, Kay, in her final year of law school. She graduated as Valedictorian of her law school class in 1963.

After graduation, Judy was employed as a lawyer at a fine, small firm, Sheffrey, Ryder & Skeer, having been overlooked by all the large, well-known law firms in the City, apparently because she was a woman. After 9 years of practice, Judy was asked to join the legal department at Hallmark Cards. She thrived there, ultimately becoming Executive Vice President and General Counsel, and worked on most significant matters at Hallmark for 30 years.

Judy was not just interested in the practice of law. She became active in and Chairman of the Legal Aid Society of Kansas City. She was also very active in and a member of the board of De La Salle School, Big Brothers & Sisters, and other organizations dedicated to helping those less fortunate. She played tennis, golf, and skied whenever she could, and jogged regularly for about 30 years. Her name was advanced by the administrations of Presidents Carter and Reagan as an appointee to the federal courts, but as a woman, at that time, she did not have the necessary political backing to garner those positions.

Upon retiring, Judy and Kent moved to Vero Beach, Florida for a number of years, where they enjoyed the warm weather, golfing, and a number of friends. They returned to Kansas City in 2023 to be with family when Judy became ill.

l, the author of this piece and ultimately her husband, was in love with her from our first meeting at Michigan Law School to our last days together some 65 years later.

Friends are invited to share memories of Judy from 4:30 - 6:00 pm on Thursday, May 2, 2024 at The Kansas City Country Club.