Sandy, Judith Showalter
Judith Showalter Sandy, age 95, of Blacksburg, Va., died Friday, November 29, 2013 at Hospice of Dayton in Ohio. Judith was born in Pulaski, Va. on April 16, 1918 to William Nathaniel and Lura (Malinda) Showalter.
Judith created cross stitch designs under Rooflines, Inc. She was skilled as a seamstress and needle worker. Her award winning counted cross stitch compositions of houses, barns, and local scenes became patterns published for others to work. She made outfits for her family, BHS cheerleaders, and she tailored clothes for customers.
Her flower garden was the source of floral arrangements for her garden club and bridge club, which she would promptly set outside after the event to avoid allergies. She was a scout leader, camp counselor, Sunday School teacher, organizer for Vacation Bible School, active in the Lutheran Women and helped with the first outreach for Mental Health in the New River Valley. Most of the furniture in her home was antique or second hand which she refinished. Her curtains, slipcovers, rugs, and bedspreads were mostly handmade. For a few years she co-owned Stitch and Chat in Christiansburg, Virginia, a Cross Stitching Shop.
She was preceded in death by her husband Raleigh Sandy. Judith is survived by her sons, Raleigh A. Sandy Jr. and wife, Patsy, William Tilman Sandy and wife, Betty Jo; daughters, Frances Elizabeth Umberger and husband, Fred, Mary Catherine Karatzis and husband, Vangelis; grandchildren Sadie Tedder, Jung-Min Collins, Tracy Reeves, Raleigh Sandy III, Steven Sandy, Kim Petrie, Teri Keroack, Alkistis Karatzis, and Tasos Karatzis; 14 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild; brother, Robert Showalter; sister, Malinda Lareau; sisters-in-law, Lina Showalter and Margaret Sayers.
Memorial service will be at Luther Memorial Lutheran Church, 600 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg, VA 24060 on June 6, 2014 at 11 a.m. with Pastor Bill King officiating. An interment service will be at St. Jacob’s-Spaders Lutheran Church, 3555 Spaders Church Road, Mt. Crawford, VA 22841 on June 7, 2014 at 11 a.m.