Judith “Judy” Warren

Judith “Judy” Warren 1931 – 2020 BRUNSWICK – Judith Dickson Warren, a woman of strong opinions who forged even stronger bonds of love and friendship during her 89 years of life, died Sunday, May 3, 2020, surrounded by family members at her home in Brunswick. Known to everyone as “Judy,” she lived a very full and active life and along the way co-founded the elder care company Neighbors Inc. in 1989. Neighbors was the first company of its kind in Maine to provide neighborly assistance – sometimes only a few hours a week for nominal fee – that would allow seniors to remain in their homes. Neighbors grew without advertising for clients or workers. Judy was a one-woman marketing force with a smile that could melt ice cubes and steely blue eyes that were persuasion in themselves. Job candidates were interviewed at her kitchen table. Workers dropped their pay slips in a box outside her front door. “Judy” Warren was an old friend and a valued member of the Brunswick community who made vital contributions to support our neighbors in need,” said Sen. Angus King. “Judy helped our local seniors stay in their homes and as part of our community; her efforts have made Brunswick a richer, more inclusive community. She will be dearly missed, but her legacy of service and kindness will live on.” Judy and her close friend and final business partner, Cathy Bagdon, sold Neighbors to Rousseau Management in 2018. The company continues to make a difference in the Brunswick community. Judy became a client herself before she passed away. Bagdon recalled Judy as role model and a mentor. “She was a very good friend and she shared that gift with so many people,” Bagdon said. “She really lived by a lesson her mother taught her: ‘What you give away, you keep.'” A person with many passions, Judy enjoyed good conversation and convivial dinners with her many close friends. She was an excellent cook. She wasn’t an artist herself, but she had a fine eye for design, and her walls were covered with art by friends or artists she supported, and by her daughter, Susie. She traveled the world, visiting China, New Zealand, the Galapagos and Europe, among other places. She also was happy to sit in the sun on her back patio with a good book. She particularly loved cardinals, “Night and Day,” white wine, Roger Federer, the Bowdoin College women’s hockey and basketball teams, the Red Sox, Michelle and Barack Obama, her children, her grandchildren and her late husband, Harry. She disliked small minds. She didn’t like taking medicine or acknowledging pain. She didn’t like spaghetti. Or Rafa Nadal. She detested the current occupant of the White House, who won’t be named here, at her request. Judy died of advanced COPD after more than 50 years of smoking. If she were here, she would urge you to quit, as she did in her 60s. She was born on Feb. 27, 1931, in Philadelphia, the daughter of Pemberton M. Dickson and Helen P. Dickson. Judy graduated from Swarthmore High School in Swarthmore, Pa., In 1953, she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her degree in occupational therapy. She was elected captain of the university women’s lacrosse team in her senior year. She married her high school sweetheart, Harry K. Warren, on Aug. 30, 1952. They were happily married for 63 years before Harry’s death in August 2016. Judy moved with her family to Brunswick in the fall of 1965 when her husband took an administrative position at Bowdoin. The Warrens were popular figures on campus for nearly 50 years and opened their home to generations of students, many who became life-long friends. They were fixtures in the stands at many college athletic events. “Judy” was a treasured figure within Bowdoin College athletics, particularly the women’s hockey program,” said Marissa O’Neil, coach of the women’s hockey team. “She was a fan, a friend, a mentor, a generous host and surrogate grandmother to many student-athletes. Both she and her late husband, Harry, have left an indelible mark in the lives of numerous Polar Bears.” Before she co-founded Neighbors, Judy worked with and for her good friend Elizabeth Tyler in the interior decorating business, Tyler Interiors, for 20 years. She also tried her hand in the real estate market with Morton Real Estate for several years. Always an active community member, Judy participated in the former Regional Memorial Hospital Auxiliary; served on the A&D Committee of United Way of Mid Coast Maine; was a member of the boards of Respite Care, the Tedford Shelter and the former Stevens Home; was twice appointed to the committees on the use of the old Brunswick High School building; served on the Building Committee for Brunswick Junior High School; and was a member of the State Board of Licensure for Osteopathic Physicians. She is survived by her daughter Susan K. Warren Hanley of Limington and her husband, Joseph; also two sons, Douglas M. Warren of Orr’s Island and Austin, TX, and his wife, Pamela; and David D. Warren of Brunswick and his wife, Jane; a sister, Jean D. Chiquoine of Orr’s Island; and five grandchildren, James and Meme Hanley of Limington; Emma and Jackson Warren of Austin; and Emily Cowan of New York City. A memorial service and celebration of Judy’s life will be held at a time when it’s safe for her family and many friends to gather and raise a glass to her memory. Judy’s family would like to thank Nurse Dawn Stilphen and Nurse Kim Ruby of CHANS Home Health and Hospice and home health aides Tina Kotow, Michelle Cleaves and Joanne Mitchell for their care and support through her final illness. To leave a note of condolence or share a memory, please visit www.brackettfh.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Carpenter’s Boat Shop, 440 Old County Road, Pemaquid, ME 04558 or The Tedford Shelter 14 Middle St. Brunswick, ME 04011


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