Judith Ann Collins

Judith Ann Collins was born in Santa Rosa, California, on April 13, 1940, to Emily Wright Collins and Robert G. Collins. Judy graduated from Santa Rosa High School in 1958 and St. Luke’s Nursing School in San Francisco in 1962. Judy served as a Registered Nurse and Hospital & Health Care Professional for over 50 years. She was a registered nurse in Redding, San Luis Obispo and Sacramento. She served in health care administration after receiving her Masters in Health Care Administration at California State University, Sacramento, in 1986. Judy wrote her thesis on on PPO's and How to Save Health Care Costs, and worked in health care management at HealthCare Compare and Adesso in Sacramento in the 90’s. As a youth, she loved going to Bliss State Park in Lake Tahoe with her family and best friend, and especially enjoyed dinners out with her family in Occidental, California. She met her first husband, James W. Vestal, in San Francisco in 1962. He had recently returned from serving as a Stars & Stripes army photographer in South Korea. They married and moved to Redding, where Judy had her first nursing job at Memorial Hospital. A few years later, the couple moved to San Luis Obispo, where Judy worked at Christian Hospital, and where their daughter, Jennifer, was born. Jim and Judy then moved to Sacramento, where Judy worked at Mercy Hospital, and in 1970, they had their son, Jason. Judy later remarried two more times, to Dr. Harold Lowe and to Douglas White. Judy was a wonderful homemaker, making the holidays fun and exciting, and always testing old and new recipes, including homemade pasta and trying the latest gadgets. Judy enjoyed music, playing guitar, going dancing, reading books, and playing tennis, cribbage and bridge. In 2003, Judy moved to Scott’s Valley, California, to be closer to her grandson, Henry, where she worked as a Nurse Supervisor at Watsonville Hospital and Kaiser Santa Clara. Grandma Judy loved going to her grandson’s extracurricular activities whenever she could. Judy spent her last few working years as a school nurse for Salinas Unified School District, and spent time as a volunteer for the Central Coast VNA and Hospice. In her final years, she enjoyed regular visits with family and friends, reading and playing card games, and especially her dog, Giggles, which Judy teased was the ‘best husband she ever had’. Judy is preceded in death by her mother and father, Emily and Robert Collins, and by her ex husbands, Jim Vestal and Harold Lowe, and is survived by her son, Jason Vestal, her daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and Jack Wiley, grandson Henry Wiley, and nieces Kim Vestal Bowers and Victoria Vestal Kupper, and their families. Judy was known to many for her welcoming attitude and beautiful smile. Judy kept in touch with many of her dear friends from all phases of life, and she also loved to meet new people. She never hesitated to tell her friends, “I love you!” In lieu of flowers, donations gladly accepted at Peace of Mind dog rescue at 615 Forest Ave, Pacific Grove, CA 93950