- Date Of Birth: March 1940
- Date Of Death: October 22, 2015
- State: Arizona
Judi passed away peacefully on October 22, 2015 at her home on Flagstaff, Arizona surrounded by her loving family. Born at her parents’ home in March of 1940 in Dayton, Ohio, she met her future husband, Larry Powers in 1956 while they were both attending High School in Dayton. After graduating in 1958, she worked for the Retail Credit Bureau in Dayton where she eventually became an Executive Secretary. In addition, she was a dance instructor for the Arthur Murray School of Dance, also in Dayton.
Judi and Larry were married on June 2, 1962 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church and immediately set out for Northern Arizona where Larry was an Archeologist at Navajo National Monument, 140 miles NE of Flagstaff. The first few months they resided in a traditional Navajo Hogan until the National Park Service provided them a small one bedroom trailer. Many days were spent on foot and horseback exploring the Tsegi Canyon country, including frequent trips to Betatakin and Kiet Seel, the largest pre-historic cliff dwellings in Arizona. During this time, Judi and Larry made lifelong friends with many Navajo and Hopi families. After nearly two years, Larry and Judi relocated and took up residence at Walnut Canyon National Monument, east of Flagstaff. They lived in a beautiful stone home constructed by the U.S. Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s.
In addition to raising two sons and a daughter, Judi began a long career in a variety of positions in Flagstaff, which included several major retailers, the Valley National Bank of Northern Arizona, the Slender Girl Salon, the Grand Canyon Travel Agency and as a cook at Camp Colton, at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, for over 10 years! In 1973 Judi was honored as Woman of the Year by the Northern Arizona Chapter of the American Business Woman Association. When not working, her “spare time” was spent as a loving wife and homemaker and as a Girl Scout Leader, Cub Scout Den Mother, Dancing Grannie, and especially as a loving and caring grandmother to her five grandchildren; Chase and Randahl Powers and Jared, Jace and Jadon Wetzel.
Judi is preceded in passing by her parents Mr. Carter and Helen Rupert, sister Darla Heyes, and brother Dennis Rupert. She leaves, to treasure her memory, her husband of 53 years Larry, sons John and Michael Powers (Rhonda) and daughter Kari Wetzel (John)and five grandchildren, sister Karen Rosati (Luke) of Dayton, OH, and brother Thomas Rupert (Debbi), also Of Dayton. At the time of Judi’s passing her brother Charles Rupert (Evelyn) also survived but he passed away a few days after Judi’s service.
