Judy Kay Nieukirk
February 28, 1946 – April 7, 2011
Judy Kay Nieukirk’s two year battle with brain tumors ended on April 7, 2011. She was born at the base of Grand Coulee Dam February 28, 1946 to Elizabeth and Otha Ownby. Her family settled in Seattle on Beacon Hill and she graduated from Cleveland High School in 1964. She was active in student government, played piano, and sang in choir. Judy studied elementary education at Seattle University and taught for six years at Arbor Heights Elementary in West Seattle.
Her long time passion for people and homes helped launch her real estate career with Johansson Clark (nee Johansson Johansson). At Carol King and Associates, she might have been having too much fun with colleagues and clients to sell any homes. She worked at Windermere before founding Leonhardt/McLauchlan with Marilyn McLauchlan. Later she owned Prudential Northwest Real Estate. She enjoyed helping people find their dream homes and become connected with the Bainbridge Island community.
Her passion for theater and especially musicals led her to support children’s theater on Bainbridge Island. She discovered director Ron Milton while working at Arbor Heights Elementary and helped bring him to Bainbridge Island for a production of Romeo and Juliet. She enjoyed traveling with husband Jim to Africa, Alaska, the Panama Canal and especially Maui. She was a doting “Nana” to grandsons’ Joshua, age 16, Sam, age 6, and Bo, age 3. She will be missed by husband Jim Nieukirk, mother Elizabeth, sister Karen (Paul) Ritter, son Eric Leonhardt, daughter-in-law Amy Sue Leonhardt, step-daughter Ginny (Peter), three nieces, a nephew and many friends. She is preceeded in death by her father Otha Ownby.
A memorial service will be held at Grace Episcopal Church on Friday, April 29 at 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to Bainbridge Performing Arts — Children’s Theatre or Hospice of Kitsap County.
Please sign the online Guest Book for the family at: www.cookfamilyfuneralhome.com.
TRIBUTE Paid Notice
