Judith "Judy" Lee (Wagner) Colgin

Judith (Judy) Lee Colgin, of Shawnee, passed peacefully, surrounded by some of her dearest friends and family on June 20th, 2023.

She was born on October 23rd, 1945 in Bristow, Oklahoma to Rosalie and Kenneth Wager. Judy grew up in Vinita, Oklahoma, alongside older brother, David. It was her adored brother who one day brought a friend, Jack Colgin, to their family home. Judy knew from the start there was something special about Jack but it wasn’t until she ran into him at the Student Union her Freshman year at Oklahoma State University that he asked her on a date to the movies. From there they were inseparable.

Jack and Judy married in the Summer of 1965. They traveled for a short time after their marriage before returning to Vinita where they welcomed their first daughter, Christi, in December of 1966. The final piece to their family, Cyndy, was born in February of 1969. They spent several years surrounded by family raising their girls in Vinita until moving to Dodge City in 1977.

In addition to raising her girls, Judy worked at the Dodge City Area Arts Council and then as an Office Manager at Teletron Electronics. Her free time was spent volunteering or with friends and family. She was a caregiver by nature and supported and cared for her parents, Rosalie and Kenneth, and in-laws, Eunice and Buck, at the end of their lives.

It was in 1995 when her first granddaughter, Aly, was born that she quit her job to dedicate her time to her new favorite role as Grammy. Shortly after, second granddaughter, Hanna, brought even more love into her life. Her home and summers were constantly filled with laughter where she spent much of her days with her granddaughters creating memories including slip-and-slides, dress up, Dodge City Day Parades, Boot Hill, and dinners at Kate’s.

In 2004, she and Jack moved from Dodge City to Linn Valley where they spent much of their golden years outside, doing the things they loved including golfing, fishing, bingo, bird watching, boating and volunteering. They enjoyed many lakeside days with their loving daughters, son-in-laws, granddaughters, and the special dogs that they loved dearly.

Volunteering was a passion of Judy’s and she created many connections with her devotion to community. Some of her favorite volunteer opportunities included revitalizing and maintaining the Linn Valley mini-golf course, her involvement in the Linn Valley Veterans Memorial, and making chemo caps for cancer patients at the University of Kansas Health System.

In 2017, she and Jack moved to Shawnee Kansas. It was there that they enjoyed many brunches with family, cheered on Kansas City Sports teams, watched Oklahoma State Cowboys football, gardened, laughed with dear friends, and welcomed their first great-grandchild, Shaun.

Nothing in the world brought Judy more joy than her husband, Jack, who she was able to celebrate 58 years of marriage with on June 12th. Her loving family will carry her memory with them.

Judy is survived by her loving husband of 58 years, Gafton “Jack” Colgin, of Shawnee, her daughter, Cyndy (Chad) Steen of Shawnee, son-in-law, Jeff Reineke of Dodge City, grandchildren, Alyson (Ryan) Hodges, Hanna Steen, and great grandchild, Shaun Hodges. She was preceded in death by her brother, David Wagner, and daughter, Christi Reineke.

For all of those she loved and touched, a Celebration of life will be held in Judy’s honor at McLain’s Market, Shawnee (Studio Room) on July 15th from 1:30-4:00 pm. All are welcome to stop by and share stories of Judy’s life.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Crossroads Hospice (https://www.crhcf.org/donate) or the Shawnee Fire Department.

Thank you for joining our family to celebrate Judy’s life. We appreciate your sharing personal stories of the memories you shared with her. We cannot express our gratitude for the sympathy, love and support you have extended to our family during this time.

Sincerely,

The family of Judy Colgin