Judi Whitecotton, 81, died peacefully, and with full assurance of her salvation in Christ, at home on December 4, 2024, surrounded by her faithful husband, her four beloved daughters, and her loyal cat, Charlie. The daughter of Walter Hamer Jr. and Maxine "Sally" Hamer, Judith Marie was born May 10, 1943, in Santa Monica, CA, the oldest of four children. She graduated from Dorsey High in Los Angeles in 1960 and from Wheaton College in Illinois in 1964.

Judi began playing the harp at age 10 in LA, where she was raised. Before college, she studied under Dorothy Remsen. She became prolific, performing for events and on the local television station. She began Wheaton College as a harp performance major, but later changed to elementary education and became a teacher. She continued to play her harp, however, for the rest of her life for weddings and church services and her family.

In 1967 she married a "gem of a man" (her words), Charles Neal Whitecotton. They were best friends who supported one another throughout their long marriage. Judi was a school teacher before becoming the world's best mom to her four daughters. She raised her girls to know and love Jesus, and the importance of gathering the family for dinner every night. She was a true renaissance woman, excelling in pretty much everything she put her hand to: music, sewing, organizing, clock repair, furniture upholstering, landscaping—you name it. And, though her daughters were often loath to admit it, she actually did know the best way to do things.

Throughout their 57 years of marriage, Judi and Neal lived in various places in Illinois, California, and North Carolina, before settling for the last five years in Boerne, Texas. In every place she lived, Judi was known as a helper. From Pioneer Girls ministries in CA and NC, to the PTA hospitality committee during the girls' school years, to the Corinthian CO-OP at Wheaton College, she was the first to step up to help.

While living in Wheaton, IL, Judi was known among Wheaton College students as "the Co-op Lady," and she delighted in outfitting thin-blooded southern students with winter clothing and organizing the heaps of donations that came in. She was excellent at finding just the right widget necessary for a project; her grandkids knew to call grandma if they needed anything, especially random items, because she'd inevitably have exactly what they were looking for. She was relentlessly creative, and one time she whipped up a trophy, complete with golden-painted beans, for the "Chili Bowl" at Neal's office. An oft-repeated, eye-roll inducing phrase when shopping with her girls was: "We could make that"—and then she'd go home and promptly make it.

She was a hopelessly proud grandma to 17 grandchildren and bored many a patient listener with detailed stories and pictures of each and every one of them. Her grandbabies (and countless other babies of family and friends) all slept under quilts handmade by grandma, dressed up in Halloween costumes made by grandma, enjoyed grandma's brown sugar muffins, and were enchanted by her playing the "Tinkerbell" song on her harp.

Judi will be remembered as a talented and humble woman, a devoted wife, a cheerful mom, a faithful woman of prayer, and a friendly helper to anyone who crossed her path. "Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all'"(Proverbs 31:28-29).

Throughout the last few years, as dementia slowly degraded her brilliant brain and depressed her outgoing personality, she wrote Psalm 36:9 on little scraps of paper that were scattered all around the house: "For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light." Even in her mentally compromised state, she remembered the life-giving importance of the unchanging Word of God. It was a light for her darkened path til the very end.

Her family will travel to Manchester, Iowa, for a private graveside service and burial at a family cemetery that is a stone's throw away from her maternal grandparents' apple orchard, a beautiful farm where Judi spent many happy childhood summers.

Judi is preceded in death by her parents, Walter Hamer Jr and Maxine "Sally" Elizabeth Hamer; brother, Steven Hamer; and sister, Patricia Hamer. Judi is survived by her husband, Charles Neal Whitecotton; daughters, Sarah Kessler (Peter), Anne Carpenter (Mike), Julie Melilli (David), and Karen Bonnell (John); her grandchildren Abigail, Rachel, Suzanna, Thomas, and Jonathan Kessler; Eve Huff (Kai) and Gwen and Isaac Carpenter; David, Aaron, Josie, Megan, Elijah, and George Melilli; and Mary, Johnny, and Sally Bonnell; and her sister, Suzan Hamer.

Memorial contributions in Judi's memory may be made to the Richard C. Whitecotton/Walter Hamer, Jr. Memorial Scholarship at Wheaton College, IL. Please click on the above link for online donations; donations by check to the scholarship fund may be made out to Wheaton College and sent to Advancement Services, 501 College Avenue, Wheaton, IL 60187. Please kindly note on the memo line that the gift is in memory of Judi Whitecotton.