Judy Harden, 84, a longtime resident of Calais, Vt., died peacefully on January 24, 2026, in Burlington, Vt., after a slow decline due to Alzheimer’s disease.
Judith Ann Harden was born on October 10, 1941, the daughter of Virgil “Pete” Harden and Pearl (Gill) Harden. She grew up in Mobile, Ala., and received a BS in psychology from Duke University and a PhD in psychology from the University of Chicago. While studying in Chicago, she met Richard “Dick” Jenney. They married in 1969 and moved to California, where Dick became an early faculty member at the California Institute of the Arts.
After growing up as an only child with few family connections and losing her mother to cancer at a young age, Judy was especially grateful to become part of Dick’s family, including his three children from a previous marriage and the families of his brother and sister, Peter B. Jenney and Betsy Jenney Basch.
Judy spent most of her working life teaching various aspects of psychology and women’s studies. She and Dick lived in the Los Angeles area for about 20 years and moved to Vermont in 1989 when Judy was offered a teaching position at Goddard College in Plainfield. They grew to love their rural life here, which Judy described as “simpler, less lonely, much richer.” They bought a house in Calais, where they spent most of their remaining years, becoming deeply involved in the community and building a close network of friends and neighbors.
Some of Judy’s many passions included running, swimming, cross-country skiing, hiking and kayaking. She spent many summers in South China, Maine, with Dick’s extended family, where she loved to kayak and swim in the lake and the ocean. Judy loved classical music and took up the cello later in life. She would tell you that she wasn’t very good but loved working at it, occasionally finding moments of bliss and playing in a “band” with fellow cello students. Judy was also an avid knitter and quilter and contributed a panel to the AIDS Memorial Quilt in memory of a dear friend.
Judy was a very spiritual person from a young age and attended many Zen retreats in California and later in the Hudson Valley in New York before finding the Shao Shan Temple in East Calais, where she made many deep connections. In retirement, Judy was able to pursue her interests in social and community issues, especially prison reform and working with women in prison. She also corresponded with a few inmates, especially a man named Teddy, who credits Judy with turning his life around and encouraging him to pursue a college degree while in prison.
In 2012 Judy reconnected with a son she had put up for adoption at birth in 1964. They clicked immediately, sharing loves of music, dogs and sarcasm, and they stayed in contact the rest of her life through weekly phone calls and many trips to see each other. Judy also had especially close relationships with her beloved niece Becky and her beloved stepdaughter, Karen, who provided loving support during her last years.
Survivors include her son, Kris Knowles, and his wife, Christina, of Lawrence, Kan.; her stepdaughter, Karen Jenney Gaukel, and her husband, Ron Gaukel, of Carlsbad, Calif.; stepson David Jenney of Vassalboro, Maine; stepson Tom Jenney and his wife, Helen, of Poway, Calif.; stepgrandchildren, Allison Jenney and Nicholas Jenney; Garrett Galstaun (Alli’s husband) and Wyatt Galstaun (step-great-grandchild); her sisters- and brothers-in-law, Betsey Jenney Basch and Martin Basch, Peter B. Jenney and Michelle Jenney; and several nieces and nephews. Judy also leaves behind a wide circle of friends.
A green burial ceremony with close friends is planned at Robinson Cemetery in Calais, and a larger celebration for Judy is anticipated in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Shao Shan Temple in East Calais, Vt., and the Alzheimer’s Association.