Obituary of Judith H. Rocheleau

Loganville, GA-Judith Helen Rocheleau, who built her life in Troy, NY, passed away from natural causes on Sunday, April 16, 2023 with her husband of 64 years, Raymond and her daughter Judy by her side. She was 86 years young. Judy was born on August 14, 1936 in Long Island, NY to parents Helen and Herbert Vooris. The family relocated to Albany, NY when Judy was 12 years old. She was one of nine kids, including her twin sister, Joan, who passed away in 2001. 

Judy graduated from Columbia High School in East Greenbush, NY. She was a popular, outstanding student and athlete excelling in multiple sports such as tennis, basketball and softball. It’s also worth mentioning she and her sister Joan were tapped princesses on the court of the Albany Tulip Festival in April of 1955.

After graduating from high school, Judy went on to work as an administrative assistant at Albany Housing Authority. Then in 1969, she and Ray purchased ABC Awning Company in Albany, where Ray began working in his teen years.  They continued to own and operate the business for 25 years.  The company remains in the family today, operating successfully as 4^th Generation Awning Co (Troy, NY).  Judy and Ray’s daughter Carol and her husband Dan Levesque are the current owners.

Judy was a natural-born caregiver. Beyond raising six children, she cared for her own parents in their later years and also cared for her mother-in-law Helen Carey who lived with the Rocheleau family for 10 years after a life-altering stroke.

Judy and Ray were fortunate enough to travel frequently, visiting many European countries, Hawaii, the Bahamas and made multiple trips to California. They retired fulltime in 1994 to North Port, Florida, where they had a home they loved. They spent their early retirement years visiting the beach, playing cards with friends, and attending many minor-league baseball games as season ticket holders of the Charlotte Stone Crabs, the Tampa Bay Rays farm team. They would often spend several summer weeks in Troy, visiting with family and enjoying a day at the horse races in Saratoga - typically on her birthday in August.

The most valuable thing to Judy was family. Her legacy will be the wholehearted love she poured into her wonderfully large family. All she truly desired was time with her children, grandchildren and siblings, enjoying a good meal, a card game or a ballgame, combined with lots of laughter. The greatest love of her life was Raymond Rocheleau. Judy met Ray after he was discharged from the Air Force in 1957 and the two married on August 22, 1959. Starting in 1960 and spanning over the next 15 years, they grew their family as they welcomed 6 children into the world. Now, six decades later, their family has expanded to 15 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren (soon to be 11, with triplets due in May.) 

Judy is survived by Raymond and their daughters; Carol Levesque (Dan Levesque) of Troy, NY, Judith Windover (Sam O’Donoghue) of Loganville, GA, Terri Taylor (Gregg Taylor) of Los Angeles, CA, Kimberley Colangelo (Gary Colangelo) of Sullivan's Island, SC, and Sandi Pastore (Steven Pastore) of Averill Park, NY. Judy is also survived by her older brother John Vooris of Springfield, MA, and younger sister, Kathryn Vooris of East Greenbush, NY.  She has been reunited with their eldest child, John Rocheleau, who predeceased Judy in 2019. 

In 2014 Judy and Ray moved to Loganville, GA to be closer to family, enjoying an in-law apartment attached to their daughter Judith Windover and her partner Sam O’Donohue’s home.

In her later years, Judy loved visits from her family; playing games (she was a fierce competitor), doing jigsaw puzzles with her girls, watching the birds and spotting a family of deer each evening while sitting in her favorite chair. She had a weakness for cookies and ice cream as anyone who knew her could tell you.

Judy loved the life she and Ray made together.  She adored her family and was an avid sports fan her entire life. She will be greatly missed by everyone who knew and loved her. We’re all better people because of the amazing impact she had on our lives.

Family and friends are invited and may call on Sunday, April 23, 2023 from 4-6pm to the W.J. Lyons Jr. Funeral Home, 1700 Washington Ave,Rensselaer, NY 12144. Funeral service will be held at the funeral home on Monday, April 24, 2023 at 10am. Burial to follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery, Albany, NY. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Judy’s memory to National Brain Tumor Society, 55 Chapel Street, Suite 006, Newton, MA 02458 or Donation Form - National Brain Tumor Society.