Judy Kay Robb

Judy Kay Robb
November 1, 1939 – November 7, 2021

Our Beloved Aunt Judy - Judy K. Robb, age 82, gracefully passed away Sunday evening, November 7, 2021 at The House at Midland Care in Topeka, KS from natural causes. She is now wrapped in the loving arms of family and friends who have passed before her. To be sure, the dogs have tackled her and are showering her with kisses.

Judy was born November 1, 1939 in Wichita, KS to Clair Elmer and Lois Marie (Kullmann) Robb. She was the younger sister to big brother Clair Edward. A natural tomboy – on more than one occasion, Judy got in trouble with Mom and Dad for "dirtying up" her Sunday finest before church – there was always time to play before (and after) formal events. Judy immensely enjoyed athletics of all types. Her primary interests included basketball, baseball, and riding her horse Cherub. Truth be told – she was game for ANY sport.

In 1955, Dad, Clair Elmer, was appointed to the Kansas Supreme Court. This brought the family from Wichita to 111 Cecil Rd. (now NW 35th Ave.) in Topeka, where Judy would spend much of the rest of her life.

Attending Seaman High in North Topeka from 1955 to 1957, Judy made many friends and entertained teachers. She was still heavily into athletics and a tough and scrappy competitor – teammates and friends nicknamed her "Scottie."

After a short stint at KU as a Physical Education major – the call to business took her to Chicago, working for the Santa Fe Railroad in their corporate offices. Soon, she was to return home to Topeka. In 1964, she became a guard, #45, for the Raytown Piperettes. The Piperettes were a very successful AAU squad that was nationally ranked for over 10 years. During Judy's time with the team (1964 – 1967) the Piperettes sent players to the Pan American Games where they finished third each year.

In 1965, after Dad Justice Clair Elmer passed away, Judy and Mom Lois bought into the Dairy Queen at 4004 SW 6th Ave. (6th & Gage) – just across from the Topeka Zoo (South) and Memorial Park Cemetery (East), and the Dairy Queen located at 4004 S Topeka Blvd. In the mid-1970s, the Dairy Queen at 6th and Gage went away and was reborn as the Dairy Queen at 240 Gage Blvd. In the early 1990s, both Dairy Queens became Judy's Soft-Serve stores. All of Judy's stores were quite successful and were required stops after summertime evening softball games. Many fantastic and unforgettable crewmembers worked in those Dairy Queens over the four decades Judy owned them. Just about all were considered family. No matter the distance apart or the time spent away, Judy was always interested in hearing from her "kids." For anyone visiting home – a visit to the house at 111 NW 35th was a must.

During the Dairy Queen years Judy founded, sponsored, managed, and played for the always outstanding Judy's Dairy Queen softball teams. Many of the players became lifelong friends. Who could forget the Marathon Tournaments and fun road trips (Garden City tournaments in "Hutch")? Seems as whenever a critical hit was needed – Judy would step in and poke a zinger between third and short. She could really play ball.

Summers with Judy were always the best: taking the old "Judy's Concessions" '58 GMC bread truck for weekend excursions to Lake Perry where the mayflies attacked us during one intense hatch, or dry-docking the boat at Point Jefferson entirely on the beach (nobody got hurt); late night dinners at Por'e Richards, dinners at the China Inn and Casa Del Sol; delivering sandwiches to Pla-Zur Recreation; triple features at the Cloverleaf and Chief Drive-in Theaters; shopping at Asay's Sportsman's Store, TEAM Electronics, Wild Willie's, and grocery shopping at Falley's; Watching Broadway shows and performances at the Starlight Theater in Kansas City; Excursions to Worlds of Fun, Wet Willie's (in Perry, KS) and Boyles Joyland in Topeka; Catching the Mandrell Sisters' performances all over the Midwest (Judy was also a leader of the Mandrell Sisters' Fan Club). The list is endless.

In her later years, Judy invested in restaurants, assisted friends in their business endeavors, became a foster mom, providing love and guidance to young folks, and also assisted greatly with the Special Olympics.

Through it all, she loved her dogs beyond measure. Many a Topeka resident surely saw Judy's teacup poodle Ebony poke her head out of Judy's shirt while Judy was out and about. A true sight to behold.

You will be missed, fine lady.

She is survived by her very close friend Maggie (Pardee) Rader (Steve); nieces Linda (Robb) Leichty (Matt) and Mikala (Robb) Moreau (Matthew), nephew Steve Robb (Nena), grandnieces Olivia and Nicole Robb, many cousins and many, many wonderful friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother.

A special thank you goes out to Rita Kennedy, Quincy Morgan, and Bob and Joyce Pardee for being absolute heroes!! There are others. Wish you could all be named. Judy loved you all.

A celebration of life for Judy will be held at 11:00am, December 10, 2021, at Dove Southwest Chapel, 3700 SW Wanamaker Rd., Topeka, KS. Please be COVID conscious. Judy's ashes will be scattered in locations near and dear to her. In lieu of flowers (unless pansies) Memorial donations may be made to Helping Hands Humane Society 5720 SW 21st St., Topeka, KS 66604 and/or Special Olympics Kansas, 5280 Foxridge Dr, Mission, KS 66202 (online at https://ksso.org).

Dove Cremations and Funerals Southwest Chapel is assisting the family.

To leave a message of condolence for Judy's family or to share a special memory of Judy, visit the guestbook below.