Judith Wade

Judith Wade – a retired EMT and beloved mother, grandmother and greatgrandmother who had an unquenchable thirst for life and adventure – died at her home in Virginia on Thursday. She was 92.

Ms. Wade, who moved to Northern Chesterfield to be with her daughter in 2015, lived her entire life between Stamford and Norwalk, Connecticut. She spent the better part of two decades working as an EMT on an ambulance and in the Emergency Room, but also did stints as a contractor doing house repairs.

Ms. Wade loved the smell of salt water in the air and always found solace along the waters of the Long Island Sound. A proud angler and boater, Ms. Wade spent a lot of her free time on the water and was no stranger to the boating community wherever she went. She truly believed heaven would have water like the Florida Keys.

But her desire for thrills didn’t end with boating and travel – Ms. Wade was also a proud motorcycle enthusiast who loved riding on two wheels until an accident injured her neck in the 1990s. Still, she loved to brag about the decades she spent as a biker.

Ms. Wade long ago checked off other bucket-list items that included international travel and flying planes. Because of Ms. Wade’s passion for excitement, it came as no surprise that she asked to go skydiving for her 82nd birthday. A story on her incredible jump from an airplane was featured in several media outlets, including the New York Daily News and Yahoo News.

However, the root of Ms. Wade’s zest for life could be found somewhere between her longtime sobriety – 49 years! – and the love she had for her family and friends.

Ms. Wade was a proud member of a well-known 12-step recovery program and credited the program for saving her life and giving her another chance and spending quality time with her loved ones. She held an enormous sense of pride for her two daughters, Pam Kemp and Marge Wade, and cherished all the time she shared with her grandchildren, Christine Fanning and Joe Kemp. She absolutely loved every minute with her great-grandchildren – Chelsea Utz, Alexis Utz, Bobby Utz, Memphis Kemp, Delancey Kemp and Adelaide Kemp.

Ms. Wade was predeceased by her husband Ed Wynn, and brothers Neil Lawless and Rev. Joseph Lawless as well as her parents Joseph N. Lawless and Alice M. Lawless. She is survived by her daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, her brother Jay Lawless, his wife, children and grandchildren – and countless friends around the world.

Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in her memory to:

Friends United with the Richmond Shelters (FURS) 3420 Pump Road, #228 Richmond, VA 23233 https://fursdogs.com/