Judith Hassig

Funeral services to celebrate the life of Judith A. Hassig, 78, of Davenport, will be private due to the current worldwide health crisis but will be livestreamed at 2 p.m. Friday, April 10, 2020 by visiting Judy’s obituary at www.hmdfuneralhome.com  Burial will take place at Holy Family Cemetery, Davenport. Memorials may be made to the Davenport Public Library-Transforming the Main Street Library for Davenport's 21st Century

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/2cr/

Judith Ann Churchward was born to Harriet and Cecil Churchward in Rochester, Minnesota on April 15, 1941. She passed away on April 7, 2020 at the Clarissa Cook Hospice House after a long battle with cancer. She grew up in a musical family with three older sisters and a piano in the house. Her first years were spent in Des Moines, Iowa during World War 2. Her father had been a farmer but worked in Des Moines in the war effort later becoming a house painter. Her mother was a one room country school teacher. Judy got to visit her mom’s school, eat Velveeta cheese sandwiches, and show off her early love of reading that carried throughout her entire life.  Judy sang with her sisters (Arlys, Carol and Frances) in a quartet at churches around the small town she grew up in, Dodge Center, Minnesota. Judy played piano and trombone in the high school band, sang in choirs, was in school plays, and was editor of her school newspaper. Reading was the most important and continued all of her life.

Judy married Richard Hassig of Plainview, MN. They met when Richard (who learned to tune pianos at the School for the Blind in Faribault, MN) tuned the Churchward family piano. They were married in 1961, and Judy followed him to Davenport, Iowa. Judy worked at St. Lukes Hospital as a medical transcriber and later at Vera French. Judy and Richard were true partners in his business, Hassig Piano Service, as she drove him to his tuning appointments all over the Quad Cities.  In 1969, her first child Paul was born, followed by Matthew in 1970, and John in 1973. A busy life followed full of laughter, music, books and a partnership with Richard that lasted until he passed on April 8, 2003. Judy always had a pile of books at the ready with back up books just in case. She always seemed to be just back from or on the way to the library. Judy was a fantastic cook with an epic Saturday night pizza tradition that lasted decades. She baked wonderful fruit pies from scratch, cookies such as her famous Snickerdoodles, cakes including Angel Food and many more. Judy notoriously called everyone by the wrong name though she got to the right one eventually! Judy encouraged all her kids and her love for each of them was apparent to all who knew her. Judy had a sharp mind, a brilliant sense of humor, and laughed with her entire body. Richard made her laugh most of all and she missed him deeply and was ready to join him.

Preceding her in death were her husband, parents, sisters, and niece Sandra Butler. Judy is survived by her three boys Paul (Caroline Teel), Matthew (Amy Birks) and John (Lori Hillery) and her 9 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren.  She is also survived by nieces Lori Kimmel and Sue Thomas, and nephew Greg Borst. Judy had some very dear friends in her life including Sharonann Rogers, Sheila Kahlert, Shelli Tague and she was preceded in death by Bev Meier and Mary Ann Fleckenstein.