Judith Ann Spisak

June 6, 1950 – January 6, 2017
Judy was born June 6, 1950 in San Antonio, Texas where she resided with her brother Travis and parents Travis and Myrtle Howard until her father moved the family to Fairborn Ohio when she was twelve upon taking a position at Headquarters Air Force Logistics Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, where her younger brother Tony was born. She graduated from Fairborn High School in 1968.  In High School she lettered in track, was a member of the Concert Choir and was a Red Cross Volunteer at USAF Hospital Wright-Patterson, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.  Judy began her career as a health professional as a Surgical Technician in Dayton, received an Associates in Arts Degree in 1979 from Orange Coast College, becoming a Respiratory Therapist with her career spanning 18 years culminating at Long Beach Community Hospital. Judy met her beloved husband USAF Captain John Spisak on a ski trip to Michigan’s Alpine Valley.  They were married at Queen of Apostles Catholic Church, Dayton Ohio on 16 November 1974 spending 42 eventful years together living in Dayton Ohio until John was assigned to the Space and Missile Systems Organization, Los Angeles Air Force Station, California in October 1975, where they resided in Rossmoor.  Upon John’s transfer to Head Quarters Air Force Systems Command in 1982 they settled in Woodbridge Virginia until Lieutenant Colonel John Spisak was transferred back to Space Division, Los Angeles Air Force Station in July 1986 where they returned to their Rossmoor home.  Judy had many artistic and pet interests throughout her life.  She did Batik and sewed her own clothes in her twenties, moving on to cake decorating and baking, then stained glass with a bit of dabbling in ceramics. Her two passions since 1993 were singing and water color. She was a member of the Golden West College Chamber Singers, Golden West Carolers, Cypress Collage Camerata, William Hall Master Chorale, Chapman College, and member and Director of the Cypress Collage Masterworks Choral. During this period she took up watercolor and was a Director of the Huntington Beach Art League. Pets were a big part of Judy’s life starting with the Samoyed she bought in Dayton, moved to California then added a companion mixed Samoyed, along with a Guinee Pig, then rabbit.  Upon losing her beloved Samoyed’s during her Woodbridge years she added two new Samoyeds when back in Rossmoor when John was away at school for 5 months.  When they passed she acquired Rex, an African Grey.  Judy and John traveled to Europe several times over their years together using EuroRail, John even leaving Judy in the Outer Barcelona train station with all their money and passports on one trip when he went to retrieve the last of their luggage and the train began to pull out as Judy yelled at him to jump.  Judy being the resourceful person found John at the inner station they were meant to get off at – a Spanish compartment mate yelled out Barcelona at the Outer Station leading both Judy and John to believe they had arrived.  Needless to say John paid for this as Judy did not find being left in a foreign country with no idea where she was, nor where she was supposed to find John funny at the time. Judy is survived by her husband John S. Spisak, her son Danial E. Spisak of Oakland CA, her brothers Anthony (Tony) Howard of Fort Walton Beach, FL and Travis Howard of San Antonio TX, Tony’s wife Carol and their sons Greg and Mark Howard, and cousins Buddy and Mike Loessberg and Ron and Gary Richter of San Antonio.  Judy passed away on Friday, January 6, 2017 at University of California Irvine Medical Center from Heart failure, a complication resulting from the Glioblastoma tumor resected on 22 Nov 2016.  Funeral Mass will be at 10:00, on 18 January 2017 at St. Hedwig church, 11482 Los Alamitos Blvd, Los Alamitos CA. with interment following cremation at Good Shepard Cemetery.  Online tributes and condolences at: www.luybendilday.com
Luyben Dilday Mortuary (562) 425-6401