Judith Smith

Judy Smith, 80, passed away peacefully on June 5, 2025. Judy was born on March 5, 1945, in West New York, NJ, to Harold and Rose Smith. One of six children, she was the fifth born child and youngest daughter of Harold and Rose. Judy will be remembered by all who knew her for her generosity, and as a beloved daughter, sister, aunt, friend, teacher, coach, and role model.

Judy was a lifelong advocate for physical education and a dedicated leader within the Sokol USA gymnastics organization. She began her lifelong journey with Sokol at the age of seven when she joined the Sokol Lodge 26 in Guttenberg, NJ. She excelled as a gymnast from an early age.

Judy quickly embraced the Sokol philosophy of physical and moral development through gymnastics. Recognized for her potential and leadership, she was selected to attend the prestigious Sokol National Instructors’ School.

As a graduate, Judy served with distinction, volunteering for over two decades in leadership roles at the Local Lodge, District Lodge, and Supreme Lodge levels. Her dedication and organizational talent led to various leadership elections, including lodge secretary, district treasurer, vice president, and president.

In 1978, Judy was elected Supreme Treasurer of Sokol USA at the XXVth Convention in Parsippany, NJ. She was the first woman to serve as Supreme Treasurer in the history of the Sokol organization -- a position she held through 1986 after being re-elected at the XXVIth Convention in Pittsburgh. As a key figure in the district, Judy played an active role in nearly every Sokol gymnastics festival and competition in the New York metropolitan area and attended competitions across the country, including Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and New York, as well as international competitions in Europe.

Judy's lifelong service, leadership, and unwavering commitment to Sokol principles left a lasting legacy in the organization she served so passionately. She will be remembered as a true Sokol pioneer, mentor, and role model to generations of gymnasts and leaders.

Judy was known to have high standards for her extended Smith and Sokol families, which only made us all better and stronger. She encouraged us, she cheered us on, she corrected us, when necessary, and most importantly she was proud of our accomplishments and was always there for us when things didn’t work out as well as we had hoped.

In addition to her dedication to gymnastics, Judy was well known for her generous spirit, deep love for her family, passion for cooking, and her beloved beagles—Maffie, Snoopy, and Daisy.

Judy was predeceased by her parents; her sister Dolores, her brothers Harold, Donald, and Lawrence and his wife Joan and is survived by her brother David and his wife Maureen, as well as Donald’s wife Inez. Judy will always be remembered as a loving Aunt, Great Aunt, and Great Great Aunt by her family, and honorary relative to so many in the Sokol gymnastics community.

A memorial service and mass will be held at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church, 130 St. Maximilian Lane, Toms River, NJ on Friday, June 13, 2025, at 10 am, to honor Judy’s life. 

Though our hearts are heavy, we find comfort in the love Judy shared and the beautiful memories we hold dear. Judy will be deeply missed but never forgotten.

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