Judith Putt Weglarz

 Judith Putt Weglarz, age 74, passed away suddenly on Wednesday, January 1, 2020 at Bryn Mawr Hospital with her family by her side.  She is survived by her daughter, Jill Rebecca Weglarz of Wayne, brother William Putt of Ruther Glen, VA, sisters Virginia Renzi Blair of Radnor, and Sally Putt Hawkins of Coatesville, several nieces, a nephew, daughter of her heart Karin McAndrews Reece, and her grandcat Reagan. She was predeceased by her parents, Francis Vernon and Dorothy Hebard Putt of Wayne, and many beloved four-footed friends including Toby, the cat that Jill believed to be her mom’s favorite child. Judy was self-employed for many years, having a typing business in her home.  This allowed her a flexible work schedule so that she could volunteer at the Women’s Resource Center and at the Main Line Unitarian Church. She later went to work as a cashier at the Devon Acme, and although she retired in 2013, customers still ask after her.  A kind and gentle soul, Judy will be remembered for her cheerful good nature, quick wit, and intense hatred of mushrooms.  She was never bored a moment of her life, and her sense of whimsy was legendary--both are traits she made sure to pass on to her daughter.  She loved reading--mysteries, Stephen King, and Frederick Backman were particular favorites--and almost every type of word puzzle.  She enjoyed board games such as Scrabble and Yahtzee, but not the more “geeky” ones “with lots of pieces”.  She once brought family game night to a screeching halt by almost flipping a table over her really intense dislike of “Ticket to Ride”(the game, not the song--she loved The Beatles). She had a great ear for harmony, and she and Jill would spend hours singing along to Peter, Paul, and Mary, Simon and Garfunkel, and Judy Collins (yes, she was a “folkie”). She was a huge fan of “Doctor Who” (David Tennant was her favorite), “Torchwood”, “Big Bang”, “Madam Secretary”, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”, and almost everything on MSNBC, Animal Planet and the Food Network (except Bobby Flay--he was the “Ticket to Ride” of the Food Network). “90-Day Fiance” and “Four Weddings” were guilty pleasures. Judy loved animals.  She’d sit at the living room table doing crossword puzzles-- the TV blaring at top volume--and watch birds, squirrels, and chipmunks feast at the feeders outside the window.  While she liked woodpeckers the best, a pair of cardinals showed up about twenty years ago that she named “Carmen” and “Bizet”. To this day the cardinals that come to her feeders are all named Carmen and Bizet.  She was beyond thrilled each time she got to take a touristy dolphin-watching boat tour at the shore or feed the giraffes, bison and birds of paradise at the Elmwood Park Zoo.  Although she’d been physically unable to do so for many years, the Philadelphia Zoo was one of her most cherished places to visit, and she was a member for many decades. She preferred Pentel Twist Erase XP mechanical pencils.  She was ecstatic to have mastered the perfect microwaved poached egg.  She liked scrapple, mush, macaroni and cheese with cut-up hot dogs in it, English Muffin Pizzas, Mrs. Putt’s Fish Chowder, and the Salmon Florentine at Nudy’s.  Whenever she dined out for breakfast, she would wrap her bacon in a napkin to save for later.  She swooned over Steve Carrell, Bill Hader, and John Barrowman’s Jack Harkness.  Not great with technology, she used a stylus (or, as she called it, a “stabber”) when texting or Facebooking, and once infamously “lost The Google”.  She had a hobby room stacked with bins of yarn and books filled with knitting and crochet patterns and would spend days crocheting something she’d made up in her head only to pull it all out because it “wasn’t quite right”.  She said that the best job she ever had was working at WFIL, and guess what? She once rode in the elevator with “Little” Stevie Wonder!  She always managed to find joy in the smallest, silliest things, and that joy was contagious.  She was much-loved and will be sorely missed. A celebration of her life will be held at a later time.  Contributions can be made in her honor to the PA Chronic Renal Disease Program, the Wildlife Conservation Society, or Friends of the Public Library.