Judy Ruprecht (72) passed away on July 30, 2025 in Fox Lake, Illinois after a yearlong struggle with small cell lung cancer. Judy was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois and grew up in Paradise Valley, Arizona. From a young age, she seemed determined to experience the world on her own terms. She graduated from Saguaro High School a year early to enroll at Arizona State University. To respect her mother's desire that she focus on her studies, Judy parted with her dear Camaro and tried settling into classes and dorm life.

Then one day, alone in the Arizona desert, Judy happened to look up. There, in the sky, she saw something unusual. Determined to find out what it was, Judy followed its path to a little place called Estrella, a sailport some 40 miles south of Phoenix. That's where she learned about the sport of gliding in motorless splendor after dropping away from a towline. Thus began a love affair with soaring, her lifelong passion.

In some sense Judy was meant to fly. Even in grade school she loved to learn and excelled at the complexities of algebra. Now the reward became not gold stars, but the adventure of reading air currents and climbing high above the desert floor. Here was a sport that required one's full attention and mental stamina to achieve even basic success. In a sense, it was also a team sport since it required the skills of a ground crew, a tow pilot, and others working in coordination. Judy blossomed!

As she learned, Judy continually set personal goals, earning both silver (1975) and gold (1980) badges from the Soaring Society of America (SSA) in recognition of her flying prowess. Early in her career she became an instructor teaching newcomers the joy of flight and later, an examiner certifying the abilities of other pilots. Throughout, Judy was known not only for her knowledge and professionalism, but also for her fairness and an adroit sense of humor.

Judy was also a prolific volunteer for SSA. Over her decades of service, Judy was a liaison to federal agencies including the FAA and advocated for safer air traffic management for all pilots. She wrote regular columns for SSA's publication "Soaring Magazine" to keep fellow pilots abreast of current affairs in aviation. Eventually Judy inhabited the role of Badge Lady, with SSA designating her as the primary reviewer of pilots' claims for various levels and types of record flights. Armed with a bespoke spreadsheet that she often referred to as her fourth child, Judy learned the minutiae of soaring as a competitive sport with myriad standards and detailed rules. True to form, she went beyond simple acceptance or denial of a pilot's submission. Instead, Judy treated badging as an interactive learning experience. This was noted with gratitude by some pilots even while Judy was turning away a record they coveted.

Over her varied soaring career, Judy was elected to the SSA Board of Directors. In 1989 she was a recipient of SSA's Exceptional Achievement Award (as Judy Lincoln). She went on to earn the organization's highest distinction, the Warren E. Eaton Memorial Trophy (1991), the Exceptional Service Award (2004) for her liaison work, and the Paul Tissandier Diploma (2014) from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.

Outside of soaring, Judy loved to create things and to travel. She enjoyed sewing and made Halloween masterpieces and other outfits for herself, her children, and later, for her grandchildren. Her homes were bedecked with handmade window treatments, throw pillows, elaborate stained glass panels and lamp shades, even a custom headboard. Being quick with double entendres, Judy enjoyed joking about being "crafty" and would crack a wry grin at such moments.

Encouraged by her mother's model for being a confident and seasoned traveler, Judy enjoyed traveling and was skillful at it, whether on an international task for SSA or on a personal journey. A couple of the bigger expeditions were a trip to Japan for an impromptu family reunion and rock'n'roll show and a gorgeously memorable visit to classical Greece. At home she could regale you with all manner of stories about a scenic drive in Wisconsin down Snake Road by her beloved Lake Geneva. She never did forget that Matthew McConaughey once rented a house there.

Judy had a secret flair in the kitchen. As a young mother, she often spent days preparing a Thanksgiving feast for the extended family, introducing her kids to the annual "turkey dance." But more than anything, she loved spending a day with family making umpteen batches of her mother's spaghetti sauce to enjoy during the holidays–known affectionately as "skettithon." (Recipe below)

Judy is survived by her three children, Oris Marsala nee Lincoln (Aaron), Audra Lincoln, Joseph Lincoln; her sister, Jo Ruprecht (partner Deb Dennis); and two grandchildren.

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