Tempe, AZ - In perhaps her final lesson after years of teaching, Judy Creighton recently told a grandson "Being 99 is easy, you just have to stay alive". She kept her mind alive with jokes, watching current events, and mental and written lists of minutiae. She was curious and hungry for knowledge and loved a good joke. Health and nutrition were important to her and she was devoted to being physically active.

Judy passed away December 26, 2025. She was born September 11, 1926, in Aurora IL to Robert L. and Margaret Hill Matlock. Her family moved to Tucson in 1931 when her father began teaching at the University of Arizona, and Judy and her three brothers began a lifetime of shared adventures, laughter, and great memories forged in the hardship of the Depression.

In 1947 after graduation from U of A Judy married David E. Creighton Jr. (1923-2005) and they raised four exceptional children - Jim, Nancy, Hannah, and Bob - during their 58 years together. From these four there are six grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. Judy & David's young family lived in the small community of Cachuma Camp, California, where David worked as a construction engineer for Cachuma Dam and where Judy finally learned to drive. The family later moved to Sacramento and then back to Arizona in 1961, to Scottsdale.

Judy was a lifelong learner who earned her bachelor's degree in Home Economics from the U of A, master's degrees in counseling, and child development, from ASU, and at age 58, her PhD in Educational Psychology from the U of A. She taught child development at ASU and headed the Child Development Lab on campus. She was a keen observer of life around her, especially of children, and would tell stories of simple interactions that showed the complexity of young minds. After she retired from ASU she consulted for Head Start with several Native American tribes and school districts. She wrote books such as "Sharing Power with Beginning Communicators", and co-created K-Talk, a program to help children develop language skills.

She consumed news all day long and supported NPR and Public Broadcasting. She had thoughts and opinions about many things, but drawing on her counseling training she rarely expressed them and refused to tell her children what to do. To the question "Would you like anything for your memorial service?" she replied "You do whatever you want". Or when asked what advice she had for the younger generation she simply said "They will figure it out".

As you would expect from a home economist, she ran a tight ship and cooked some great meals. Her pie crust perfectly complemented the pumpkin filling. Roast beef was tender with richly flavored gravy. She finally learned to stop serving lima beans and brussels sprouts after enough protests from her children.

Judy was a member of Scottsdale Presbyterian Church since 1961. She served in many roles with the church and enjoyed a lifetime of friends through her church family. She was den mother for son Bob's pack, led the 3- & 4-year-old Sunday School room for years, served terms as Deacon and Elder, and travelled with the youth to support mission work. She was a faithful member of the Red Hat group composed of many members of the church.

She enjoyed cruises with David to Canada & New England, and to Alaska via the inside passage, and later, trips to Italy and Russia with grandchildren.

Her final act of service is to donate her body for medical students to "learn more about this cancer that is going to kill me". Plans for a memorial service will be shared later. Judy would be honored for you to make a contribution to a local foodbank, housing crisis center, National Public Radio, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, or Planned Parenthood.