Judith "Judy" Ann Hitt

Judy was born October 20, 1942, to Walter and Joy Philbrick in Dallas Texas. She passed away on April 12, 2024.

She attended Adamson High School in Oak Cliff, where she was head majorette and won many awards and accolades, including the title of “Miss Howdy” (most friendly), which she retained informally for much of her life. She graduated from North Texas State University with a BA in English and Education, where she was also a cheerleader.

In 1965, she met and married the love of her life, Curtis Hitt, after a brief courtship. She supported Curtis during the last two years of his medical school studies. Curtis spent ten years in active naval service, and Judy was a supportive Navy wife during those years, holding many positions in the Navy Auxiliary. Together they were stationed in Beeville TX, New York City, Gaithersburg MD, and Bremerton WA, before settling in Austin in 1977. Judy was a devoted mother of two boys, Greg and Jeff. As they grew older, she returned to the workforce as a real estate agent, elementary school teacher, and bookkeeper.

Judy was a force to be reckoned with despite her diminutive size. She was a competitive tennis player and an avid runner, running the Austin and New York marathons. Together, Curtis and Judy rode bicycles across Texas and the world, with many trips to Europe and Central America. Judy was also an accomplished bridge player accumulating well over 1000 master points. She loved spending days perfecting her garden, doting on her granddaughters, cozying up with a good book, lounging on the beach at South Padre, and most of all making friends with everyone she met.

Judy was preceded in death by her parents, Joy and Walter Philbrick. She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Curtis Hitt, her children Jeff Hitt, Greg Hitt and wife Laura, granddaughters Kendall Root and her husband Casey, Riley Hitt, and Danni Hitt, great granddaughter Lily Root, brother Jay Philbrick and his wife Carolyn Malkus, niece Skye Philbrick and her children Maddie and Ryan Cator, and cousin Suzanne Williams-Rautiola and husband Joel, along with many friends. A celebration of her life will be held in June. Judy will be missed.