Judith Wyckoff Purcell of Marco Island, Fla. and Washington Crossing, Penn., passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 25, 2020. She was 86.

Judy, as she preferred to be called, was the beloved wife of the late Richard F. Purcell for almost 50 years, having met on a blind date at The Harvard Club of New York in 1963.

Born in Harpenden (Hertfordshire), England in 1933, she was the daughter of the late Francis Talmadge Wyckoff (of Los Angeles, California) and Jocelyn Thomas Wyckoff (of Newport, Wales).

Judy had an unusual childhood that brought her to live all over the world – Egypt, England, India, Singapore, Switzerland, the United States and Wales. As a result, Judy spoke fluent German and could converse in Hindustani and Malay, although Judy rarely acknowledged having these skills publicly.

In British tradition, Judy was sent to boarding school at a young age and educated at – among other schools – Woodstock School in Landour, India (nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas) and Buser Töchter Institute in Teufen, Switzerland.

Although she rarely spoke of it, Judy often found herself in the crosshairs of history as a young child, the experiences of which had a profound impact on Judy throughout her life.

As a 6 year old, Judy was in England during Hitler’s Blitzkrieg and saw first-hand the destruction that ensued and the resulting impact on her extended family.

As an 8 year old, Judy – together with her mother and infant brother – left all of her belongings and her home in Singapore (including her sweet Dachshund puppy) on a moment’s notice and boarded a ship headed to Australia, as WWII was ongoing and Japan was about to invade Singapore. Judy spent the next 14+ days on an intentionally quiet and darkened ship, which zig-zagged continuously to avoid detection by the Japanese Imperial Navy. This experience, more than any other, imparted the frailty of life to Judy, for she understood quite clearly – even as a young child – that her ship could be torpedoed at any moment and she may never see her beloved father again.

As a 13 year old, Judy witnessed the chaos and violence that occurred in the 1947 Partition of India and the ensuing wars between India and Pakistan. To ensure their safety during this tumultuous time, Judy and her younger brother were sent to live in northern Switzerland (near the German border) and were unable to see their parents (who were then living in Calcutta) for three years. By the time Judy and her brother were finally reunited with their parents in 1950, Judy was then a young woman and her brother spoke only German, necessitating Judy to serve as an impromptu German translator for her family.

Undoubtedly, nothing mattered more to Judy – or gave her greater joy – than her family. She deeply loved her husband, children and grandchildren and will forever be remembered as a devoted wife, loving mother and doting grandmother. Judy will also be remembered as a world traveler (whose work in the executive offices of Pan Am in New York City during the 1960s afforded her the opportunity to continue her travels abroad), master chef, movie and trivia enthusiast, and accomplished NYT crossword puzzler.

Judy’s perpetually calm demeanor, sharp intellect, keen sense of humor, endless generosity, constant selflessness and robust inner strength will be deeply and forever missed by her family, especially her children.

Judy is survived by three children: Richard W. Purcell of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, Edward T. Purcell and his wife Allison of Ringoes, New Jersey, and Carolyn P. Reichenbach and her husband Charles of Newtown, Pennsylvania; seven grandchildren: Madeline, Richard and Katherine Purcell, and William, Elizabeth, Charles and Megan Reichenbach; and brother Philip J. Wyckoff and his wife Jennie of Ft. Myers, Florida.

A private memorial service will be held at Washington Crossing National Cemetery, immediately following which Judy will be laid to rest with her loving husband.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Judy’s favorite charity, The Woods Services, P.O. Box 36, Langhorne, PA 19047. Judy was – and her family remains -forever grateful to Woods Services for enabling her son, Richard, to lead a fulfilling life with a positive outlook and an ever-present smile.

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”