Judith Claire (Smith) Ware passed away after a courageous battle with lung cancer surrounded by her loving family on March 1, 2014 in Palm Desert, CA. Following cremation, her ashes will be sprinkled on the Pacific Ocean along with those of the love of her life, Gordon Ware. A Celebration of Judy’s life will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. at the Marrakesh Country Club, 47-000 Marrakesh Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Marrakesh Scholarship Fund Judith Ware Scholarship, 47-000 Marrakesh Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260. The fund provides college opportunities to qualified Marrakesh employees and/or children. Judith was born and raised in Kansas City. She was a popular student at Southwest High School where she was voted “best personality”. She attended Scripps College in Claremont, California on a full scholarship and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a triple major. While at Scripps, her beauty was twice more celebrated as she was named homecoming queen at two nearby all-men’s colleges. Love at first sight struck in 1959 when she met and became engaged to Gordon Ware, a graduate of the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona. They were married in 1960. A life-long employee of Hallmark Cards, the Ware Family lived in Brazil, Mexico, and Kansas City travelling globally. Judy and Gordon retired in 1997 and relocated to Palm Desert, California. After Gordon’s death in 2003, Judy continued to travel and entertain, and became an active supporter of scholarship programs for at-need-children in Southern California’s Coachella Valley. She is remembered for her glowing beauty, consistent good cheer, fierce loyalty, sparkling humor, and enjoyment of life. Judith was preceded in death by her parents, Clara Ethelyn and Norton Bailey Smith, and her husband, Gordon Ware. She is survived by a son, Stanford Ware of Los Angeles, CA; a daughter, Shannon Espino, her husband, Enrique Espino and granddaughters, Sofia Espino and Isabel Espino of Temple City, CA and her sister, Jacqueline Smith of Kansas City.

Source: Arizona Daily Star, The (Tucson, AZ) – Thursday, March 13, 2014