Judith Burgess

Celebration of Life – Judith “Judi” Burgess What do you get when you mix an infectious laugh, an eye for color and style, a thoughtful cardsender and gift-giver, a tomboy with a passion for sports, a dog lover, a traveler, and a genuinely wonderful person? Well, you just barely scratch the surface on all that was Judith “Judi” Jane (Ames) Burgess. Judi was born on December 24, 1946, to Vernon and Virginia (Martin) Ames in Waukon, Iowa. She and her 7 siblings were raised out in the country in McGregor, Iowa where they attended a one room schoolhouse. She remembers having had a crush on Kurt Moody who would meet her on the way to school with his horse and let her ride as he led. Some of her other favorite memories are of running through the crick with her brother, causing mischief, and spending hours upon hours running around Pikes Peak in McGregor. Her favorite color as a child was yellow. When she reached middle school age, her family moved to town and she attended Mar-Mac Middle and High School also in McGregor, Iowa. There, she met Richard “Andy” Lee Anderson (aka “Dick” in his youth) and they dated throughout high school. Judi was also a star softball pitcher. She graduated from Mar-Mac High School in 1964 and, in 1965, Andy and Judi were married. She then gave birth to her first child, a son named Jay, in 1966. Andy’s job in the Navy took them to various states like Idaho, California, and Lincoln, Nebraska, where they added to their family; with son Scott, born December 1968, and daughter Amy, born June 1970. In June 1971, the whole family was moved to Oahu, Hawaii (shaka). That August, Judi gave birth to twin sons, Troy, and Todd. In 1973, Andy and Judi divorced. It was not long thereafter that she met her loving life-partner, Victor F. “Vic” Burgess. The couple married in 1980 and had 41 wonderful years together. In Hawaii they enjoyed going to the beach, spending time with friends, and hosting family visitors. One of Judi’s favorite past times was reading suspense/mystery/murder novels, with a little romance thrown in for good measure (she owned thousands of books over the years). Another favorite pastime was watching football. As kids we knew not to interrupt her when her football teams were playing! She especially enjoyed cheering on her Iowa teams. In 1993, the year that her first two granddaughters were born, they made the decision to move back to her home state of Iowa to be with family. Being a grandmother brought Judi such great joy. She showered her grandchildren with love and made sure they knew how special they were every birthday and holiday. She loved shopping and picking out the right gifts for each of her children and grandchildren; she had an innate sense of what others liked and wrapped them expertly. She loved seeing the joy in her family’s eyes. Her other joy was spending time with her siblings. Judi and her sister, Joan, worked to schedule recurring family reunions. They organized several sibling weekend getaways. Judi and Joan also made several sisters-only girls trips exploring the United States together, enjoying life. From 1993 to 2005, she worked at Calhoun Burns and Associates in West Des Moines, Iowa where she met her best friend of 28 years, Diana Schaller. Diana and Judi joined a bowling league together and Judi loved the tournament weekends where she was able to spend time laughing, sharing stories, and winning trophies… some of the time. That group of ladies then also introduced her to the game of golf, which she enjoyed tremendously. From 2005 to 2015 she joined the amazing group of Baldwin White Architects and Conyers Design/The Design Group in West Des Moines, Iowa. Judi enjoyed her bosses and co-workers immensely and created many friendships. Many remember how she would match the color of her computer background to her blouse each day. Judi spent her retirement years hanging out with her husband watching TV shows and movies together, visiting family near and far, and taking care of their beloved pets. Her life was a gift, and her legacy is the light of her love that will shine on forever. Judith is survived by her loving husband, Victor Burgess, West Des Moines, IA and her beloved dog, Nala; her children Jay (Amy) Anderson, Las Vegas, NV; Scott Anderson, Bear, DE; Amy Roppe, Greer, SC; Troy (Jamie) Anderson of West Des Moines, IA; Todd (Emily) Anderson, Lancaster, CA; her grandchildren Kimberly (DJ) Cook; Kiana (Kyle) Cauwels; Vanessa Anderson; Britta Roppe; Kyle Anderson; Valerie Anderson; and Emil Anderson. She is also survived by her siblings Gary Ames, Joan (Bob) Mezera, Rod (Rosemary) Ames, Cliff (Sandy) Ames, Marty (Jeannine) Ames, and sisters-in-law, Marilyn Ames and Judy Good. She is preceded in death by her parents Vernon and Virginia Ames, siblings Merlin and Dan Ames, and sister-in-law Juanita Ames. A visitation will be held on Saturday, September 25, 2021, from 1:00-3:00 p.m. immediately followed by a Celebration of Life, both to be held at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home, 8201 Hickman Rd., Urbandale, IA 50322. The family requests that you wear something colorful, your favorite sports jersey, jeans, or anything you feel comfortable in as we honor and celebrate Judi’s life. In lieu of flowers, our family requests that you follow Judi’s example and make memorial contributions to your local Animal Rescue or to the Gary Sinise Foundation supporting Veterans, or just do something kind and generous for someone who could use a little extra help. Online condolences may be expressed at www.caldwellparrish.com