Judy Mckissick
Early Sunday morning, February 9th, 2025, we said “see you after while” to our dearest Judy Herrington McKissick. Judy was born to Howard and Irene Herrington in Hattiesburg, MS on January 9th, 1954. She was the 6th of 7 children, and the apple of her father’s eye. She is predeceased by her parents Howard and Irene, her siblings Trixie Perkins, Betty Rose Henderson, and Sam Herrington, and her husband J. Robert McKissick. She leaves behind her daughters, Jennifer Janise Tedesco (husband John) and Shannon Zaffino (husband Jeff). She is also survived by her brothers Allen, Billy and Jerry Herrington. She leaves behind 6 grandchildren – Kirby, Addison, Ransom, Gabriel (wife Emma), Evie and Madison, and 4 great grandchildren, Ellie, James, John-Luke and Clayson. She also leaves behind too many friends to name, friends who were just as much family as the people she was biologically related to.
Judy attended Sumrall High School, then later moved to Houston, Texas. In Houston, she continued her education, studying photography. She later unapologetically stole half of the garage to build a dark room where she processed and developed her own photos. She won multiple awards with her landscape photography. As commonly happens with those who like to be behind the camera, we don’t have nearly enough photos of Judy herself. However, browsing through her favorite photos was like a tour through her mind – observing with her what she found beautiful – the Scottish Highlands, colorful buildings in San Miguel de Allende, and old churches amid cities, surrounded by skyscrapers.
Judy’s greatest love in life was her dogs. She and her late husband Bob became enamored with Asta, a Lakeland terrier featured in The Thin Man movies, and she sought one out of her own. This was the beginning of a 37-year long love affair with the breed. She bred, groomed and showed Lakeland terriers for 36 years, finishing many champions. She was a founding member and served as President of the Houston Area Terrier club. She also served as President of the US Lakeland Terrier club. Her ”dog community” became her extended family and was how she met her closest friends. She leaves behind her Lakelands Tammy and Sabrina.
Judy was also well known for her sense of humor, her love of football (Go Texans!) and her fiery disposition. It defies the laws of nature how so much personality and chutzpa got stuffed into her tiny 5 foot tall, 100lb frame. We will forever miss her laugh, how she fought for us, and how intensely she loved us. We will forever miss her cheering us on loudly every time one of us had a hard road ahead. Though we won’t walk that road with her by our sides any longer, we walk it knowing that she is a huge part of all of us still. We will walk that road and be fierce for others who can’t fight for themselves as she did. We will be accepting of strays – canine and human alike – and treat them as family, as she taught us. We will laugh loudly, often, and with others, as she showed us. We will photograph whatever we find inspiring and hang those photos next to hers in an effort to beautify a world that lost a work of art when she exhaled for the last time.