Judith Virginia Brown ~ July 22, 1946 – December 8, 2018

Judith Virginia Brown passed away at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nev., on Dec. 8, 2018.

She was 72.

Judy, along with a fraternal twin sister, was born to Charles W. Riggs and Virginia McClintock Riggs in Yuba City, Calif., on July 22, 1946. She graduated from Berkeley High School in Berkeley, Calif., where a highlight was appearing in the Rose Bowl Parade as a baton twirler in the school’s marching band. Her teen years included traveling with her family through the bush in Nigeria, where her father was working as a veterinarian. In 1966, she married Robert Traum, with whom she had two boys, Michael and Kenneth. The family lived in El Cerrito, Calif., and Judy worked at Alta Bates Hospital in Oakland after graduating from the University of San Francisco Nursing School. Following a divorce, Judy moved to South Lake Tahoe, Calif., with the two boys in 1973 and began working as a labor and delivery nurse at Barton Memorial Hospital where she eventually became Director of Nursing.

In 1980, Judy married Steve (Bep) Athanassion, who managed the coffee shop at Tahoe Bowl. The couple had a daughter, Stephanie, who died of sudden infant death syndrome at three months of age. Bep died of a heart attack not long after. Bruised but not broken, Judy and her two boys carried on. She left the hospital and ran the coffee shop for several more years, logging daily 6 a.m. to Midnight shifts, teaching her boys about commitment, perseverance and hard work.

In 1982, Judy married Alan Brown and soon after the pair became owners of Tahoe Manor Guest Home, a South Lake Tahoe residential care facility with nearly four dozen beds. They operated the place together for more than 20 years before selling the business in 2007. It was yet another 24/7 responsibility in her life, and a period of time when Judy’s characteristic dedication to caring and compassion truly shined.

Judy had an innate ambition to serve others. This was manifested most notably in 1996, when after a term on the city’s Planning Commission, she announced to the family that she was running for South Lake Tahoe city council. She was elected and re-elected, and twice served as the city’s mayor. She remained interested and active in local civics following her elected terms, and was again a member of the Planning Commission when she passed away.

A lifelong animal lover, Judy spent much of her “retirement” years volunteering, serving on the board and working as office manager for the Lake Tahoe Humane Society. She was a fervent fan of the television show Big Brother, often spending uninterrupted hours online watching the live feeds while chatting with others who had similar interests. She also had a peculiar affinity for those less fortunate in the world, and even made two solo trips to Bangladesh in recent years to visit a family and cultivate friendships she had made through online interactions.

Judy is survived by her husband Alan Brown of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., her sister Barbara “Babs” Riggs of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., her son Michael Traum (Tracy) of Davis, Calif. her granddaughter Tylar and grandson Miller (Michael) and grandson Jacob (Kenneth). She is predeceased by her son Kenneth Charles Traum and daughter Stephanie Athena Athanassion.

The family has not made any formal plans for a memorial service, as they continue to sort things out following Judy’s lengthy illness and hospital stay. Interment at Happy Homestead Cemetery will be coming sometime in early 2019. The family humbly requests anyone interested in assisting the family to contact Judy’s son Mike, and specifically his wife Tracy, who is managing the collection of donations to assist Alan.