San Diego, California - Judith Lauria Rusk, an artist and world traveler with a wonderful and caring spirit, passed away peacefully on January 9, 2026, in San Diego, CA. She had just completed her latest cross-country travels, enjoying time with family, creating new artwork, and dancing in a festive Zumba class. Judy was born in November 1938 and raised in Montreal, Canada, spending summers with her mother's extended family in Belmar, NJ, and enjoying canoeing and other outdoor exploration at summer camp in Vermont. She graduated from McGill University in occupational therapy with an impressive array of skills - ranging from excelling at organic chemistry to wiring an electrical circuit and making a wrinkle-free bed. She worked as an occupational therapist with veterans and began studying art in the evenings while her husband, Tom, was studying in medical school.

She continued making artistic creations throughout her life while also creating opportunities for children to learn to make pottery, paper mâché, batik, candles, and other artforms. While raising three children, she worked as a travel agent, arranging experiences off the beaten path, including leading an unconventional group of runners (the San Diego Hash House Harriers) across Thailand, Malaysia, and other countries, earning her the nickname "Coach."

Growing up and in her work, she witnessed the devastating effects of world wars, which motivated her advocating for peace and treating people of all ages and cultures with compassion and respect. She volunteered for many years at the Peace and Justice Center of Eastern Maine, where she applied her graphic design and computer skills to lay out the monthly newsletter and organized peaceful protests in Maine and later when she moved to upstate New York. She was certified as a master gardener and enjoyed spending much of her free time transforming outdoor spaces into flourishing gardens. She also loved traveling, walking, snorkeling, drawing, painting, reading, and meeting people and animals from around the world.

She will be gratefully remembered and dearly missed by her children, Scott, Natalie, and Carl; grandchildren, Nolan, Grant, Charley, and Sam; sister, Ann; as well as many other thoughtful and joyful friends and family.

She will continue to serve as a role model for staying true to her values, advocating for human rights, and applying her creative and practical skills to help others. Donations can be made in her honor to the Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine, PANA San Diego, or your favorite group striving to help others.