Judith Proctor was born and raised in Baltimore MD, the youngest of four children, including her twin sister, who is 5 minutes older. She feels she lived an enchanted childhood, filled with love and laughter. Her parents delighted in family life, often holding gatherings around the piano.

Other than her parents, one of Judith’s early influences was Myrtle Webster, who cooked for, and was loved by the family from the time Judith was 2 until after she had her second child.

Another early influence was Erma Sloop, who lived with them and built airplanes. Actual airplanes. And collected red rubber bands, often picking up several in a day at work, and buffalo nickels.

She attended all female Roland Park Country School, from kindergarten through 12th grade, and loved playing sports including field hockey, basketball and lacrosse. Then on to Goucher College, (where her mother was the first female chairman of the board).

Her degree was in political science, and her first job was a stock market trader at the prestigious Alex Brown Investment firm in Baltimore.

She married her husband Don, and left her job as a first grade teacher to raise their four children, serving as president of the Parents Association and vice chairman of the board at Roland Park Country and Gilman, where her children attended.

One Tuesday afternoon, sitting at home, Judith felt a strong urge to go to the chapel and pray, and to consider a vocation as a priest, in the Episcopal Church. Already a licensed therapist, she thought that might be enough.

Still, she felt compelled to consider a life in the priesthood, and with the support of her husband and children, applied to enter the Virginia Theological Seminary. She was ordained Reverend Judith Proctor at 51 years of age. She lives in Baltimore, and drove 75 minutes each way to St. Paul’s Episcopal church in Alexandria.

She loved her work, especially the relationships she built with her parishioners. In the Episcopal Church, When you turn 72, you relinquish your parish so the new priests get a place.

At first she dreaded retirement, sad to leave her parish, worried about what she would do with her time, but that has not been a problem. She was surprised to learn how adaptable we can really be, even when we think we can’t.

She finds it strange to be the person in the pew, instead of on the alter, She hasn’t blurted out the priest’s part …yet.

Still a priest, of course, Judith also preaches at local churches, and recently baptized a 16 year old girl, who brought 40 family members and friends to the celebration.

She maintains friendships with several former parish members, often meeting for lunch.

She loves being Grandmommy to her grandchildren, and has rediscovered her love of sports, She travels to Philadelphia to watch the grandkids play lacrosse, basketball and field hockey and little league.

The family recently celebrated Don’s 80th birthday with a large family party, and look forward to many more.