Judy Lee (Rizer) (Allyn) Wise

1939-2026

Judy Wise went home to her Lord on May 4, 2026.

Judy was born on October 9, 1939 in Manchester, Iowa, the second daughter of John Rizer and Vanita (Cloud) Rizer. During World War II, the family lived in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and later moved back to Des Moines, Iowa, where Judy grew up. Judy graduated from East High School, in Des Moines, in 1957. She briefly attended Simpson College and then graduated from Drake University.

Judy and her first husband were married in 1962 and were among the early volunteers in the newly created Peace Corps. After meeting Sargent Shriver in Washington, D.C., they were sent for two years to Nigeria. Judy learned the Hausa language and taught English in a Moslem school. After serving their two years, Judy’s husband attended graduate school for a year in Edinburgh, Scotland, where their daughter, Anita, was born in 1966. Upon returning to the U.S., Judy worked as a social worker in the Watts section of Los Angeles.

After getting divorced, Judy and Anita returned to Des Moines in 1971. In 1975, Judy earned a Master’s Degree in Library Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia. It was in Columbia that Judy met her future husband, Robert (Bob). Judy returned to Des Moines. She and Bob had a long-distance relationship from 1978 until 1983, when she and Anita moved to Kansas City and Judy and Bob were married in 1983.

In Kansas City, Judy worked in several libraries including Kansas City Public Library, the KU Medical Center library, and Pembroke Hill school. She supported Bob in his career and was a great contribution to his success as an attorney.

Judy was a lifelong Methodist and, in 2002, she and Bob joined the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection where they were members of the Morningstar class and Bible 101. In addition to the church, Judy had also been active in the Kansas City Automotive Museum, where she was one of the first members of the board of directors.

Judy is predeceased by her parents and sister. She is survived by her husband, daughter, and son-in-law, Mauro Zamora.

Judy’s family wishes to thank the personnel of Stratford Commons Memory Care Community and Monarch Hospice for the care and comfort they provided to her in the last year of her life.

Those who loved her will gather to celebrate her life on August 8, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at the Wesley Chapel, Church of the Resurrection, 137th & Roe, Leawood, KS.