Judy Lansky, born November 11, 1950, in Milwaukee, Wis., died following a valiant, courageous battle with leptomeningeal metastases, a rare complication of cancer afflicting approximately 5% of cancer victims.

Judy's vibrant personality and character are best summed up by the following lines recently written by her 95-year-old aunt, Annalee, after whom Judy may have been modeled: "This is an ode to my dear niece Judy, who, as everyone knows, is quite a cutie; she has an infectious laugh and a really great smile. To see it, I actually would walk many a mile." The laugh and smile were a significant part of why her husband Ken thought of Judy as his 1965 Thunderbird, the luxury automobile advertised as "UNIQUE IN ALL THE WORLD."

Judy and Ken traveled the world – Russia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Baltic countries, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Taiwan - on their tandem recumbent. And they did it without filters – which is to say on their own, not as part of an organized tour with a tour guide, but with the enriching experience that comes from meeting the peoples of the countries through which they traveled, directly and on their own terms.

Judy held three degrees from the University of Wisconsin, earning her law degree with the cum laude distinction. During her legal career, she served for 23 years as law clerk to Federal District Judge George Howard Jr. and, following Judge Howard's death, as law clerk to Federal District Judge Brian Miller.

Judy was very actively involved in service to the community, especially through her advocacy of bicycling for recreation, transportation, health, and improvement of the overall quality of life for all citizens of Central Arkansas. She was co-founder of Bicycle Advocacy of Central Arkansas, a non-profit organization advocating for safe bicycling and improved bicycle facilities in our community, serving in all the organization's offices, including as president from 2012 through 2014. Judy also served for four years as the original co-chair of the Big Dam Bridge Foundation, having been appointed to that position by then County Judge Buddy Villines. With her friend Peggy Muncy, she organized and directed the highly successful Full Moon Walk, in 2011 drawing over 2,500 diverse Arkansas citizens for an evening stroll across the Big Dam Bridge under a beautiful full moon.

 

The Central Arkansas community also benefitted from Judy's service as a volunteer with Last Chance Arkansas and the Arkansas Department of Corrections Paws in Prison program, working with skilled inmate trainers to train dogs, assess the dogs for adoption, and serve as caseworker for the dogs in the program. In addition, Judy was a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected children in the court system. She was also one of four federal court plaintiffs challenging the Constitutionality of the placement of a Ten Commandments monument on Arkansas State Capitol grounds.

Judy is survived by her sister, Robin Cohen (husband Bernie); her loving stepchildren, Ken L. Gould (fiancée Angela McIntyre) and Jacki Gould; nieces, Chanie Delman (husband Boruch) and Chaya Tabor (husband Gavi); nephews, Mordechai Cohen (wife Ruth), and Yaakov Cohen (wife Tehila); her best friend and soulmate, husband Ken Gould; her beloved mutt, KitKat, who from the onset of the crisis stage of Judy's illness, was constantly at her side trying to provide licks of comfort when not monitored by Judy's human companions, and too many to count good friends.
Perhaps some solace regarding Judy's death may be found in the words of the 19th century poet Algernon Swinburne:

"From too much love of living, From hope and fear set free, We thank with brief thanksgiving whatever gods may be, That no life lives forever, That dead men rise up never, That even the weariest river winds somewhere safe to sea."

Judy would have been pleased that any contributions in her honor be made to Bicycle Advocacy of Central Arkansas.

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Published in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette July 11, 2021