Judy was born in Oak Park, Illinois, on October 3, 1940, to Clarence (Cal) Groot and Margaret (Peggy) Slager. When Judy was five, shortly after the end of World War II, Cal's employer, Brunswick, relocated the family to Houston. They lived in a small garage apartment until the family grew to include Judy's brother, Richard, and sister, Linda, after which they moved to a larger apartment downtown. The family attended Trinity Lutheran Church downtown, where Judy and her siblings also went to school. A bright student, Judy advanced a grade ahead of her age. She later commuted—traveling by two city buses—to Lutheran High School. There she participated in many extracurricular activities, including basketball and theater, and made wonderful lifelong friends, some of whom are now also members at Trinity Klein. She later co-organized several festive and successful class reunions. Judy graduated from Lutheran High in 1957 at the young age of sixteen.

After high school, Judy was accepted to and attended Rice University. Being humble as well as intelligent, she would later say she felt too young and unprepared for the experience. In reality, at sixteen she was already a breadwinner and caregiver for her family. She looked after her younger siblings—five and eight years her juniors—and was responsible for contributing to the household income by working alongside her mother as a clerk at a law firm. A few years later, she attended the University of Houston, where she discovered her affinity for numbers and met her future husband, Johnnie. They each maintain being the first to ask the other out for coffee.

In addition to her extra curricular activities at school, working, and going for coffee, Judy, along with her entire family, loved bowling. Throughout her life and into her eighties, she bowled in leagues and traveled nationwide for tournaments. For many years she averaged in the high 170s and at one point even considered turning professional. Andy and Kelly fondly remember grilled cheese sandwiches and video games on many Thursday nights at the bowling alley behind the Globe on North Shepherd. Bowling kept her bones strong and her spirits high.

Judy and Johnnie were married in 23 degree weather on January 12, 1963, and worked hard loving each other and their family for nearly 63 years. For many of those years, they pinched pennies, clipped coupons, and redeemed S&H Green Stamps to make ends meet. They purchased a piece of land in Spring, cleared it themselves, and had a house built. Along with Johnnie, Judy helped install the second story of the home they have occupied for almost sixty years. While Johnnie cleared trees and worked the tractor, Judy planted vegetable gardens, fruit trees, hedges, and flower beds, beautifying their property. She also kept an immaculate home.

During Kelly and Andy's elementary years at Trinity Klein Lutheran School, Judy volunteered in their classrooms, the school library, the PTL, and anywhere else help was needed. She attended their basketball games, choir and bell choir concerts, talent shows, Halloween carnivals, and any activity in which they were involved.

Summers meant family road trips out west. Many were spent traveling through New Mexico and Arizona to Colorado, Nevada, Utah, or Wyoming—Yellowstone being a favorite. When they weren't heading west, the Knott family often vacationed at South Padre Island, enjoying the long stretches of uninhabited beach. Judy's planning and direction made all these trips possible. After the kids were grown and flown, Judy fulfilled her dream of traveling abroad—with Johnnie, of course. Being 100% Dutch, their first trip was to the Netherlands with her mom. Later journeys took them to Italy (several times), Germany, Austria, Belgium, Sweden, Alaska, Nova Scotia, and on a Panama Canal cruise—often with their close, lifelong friends, Betty and Alan Herzberg. For their 50th wedding anniversary, Judy and Johnnie treated the family to a trip to Spain, another adventure made possible through Judy's vision and organization.

In addition to memorable vacations, Judy hosted annual holiday gatherings for extended family and friends. Thanksgiving dinners for 10–20 featured color-coordinated tables across the living area. Christmas Eve brought her unconventional but coveted homemade chili and tamales. Easter, however, was the most spectacular holiday at the Knott home. When the aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors, and church friends were younger, the front three acres transformed into a softball field, horseshoe pit, picnic area, and expansive Easter egg hunt. Barbeque—not ham or lamb—was king, and Judy was queen. Vast quantities of potato salad, beans, coleslaw, rolls, sauce, tea, and plenty of desserts filled table after table. Another table held the plates, napkins, and utensils for the fifty or so guests. Judy possessed the remarkable ability to prepare and orchestrate the day while making it look effortless.

As Kelly and Andy matured, Judy returned to work as an accountant, a profession she loved. She was highly respected by colleagues and formed lasting friendships with several coworkers. After nearly 30 years in the field, Judy retired to be "Grandma" when her only grandchild, Gabi, was born. She spent many of her days caring for Gabi and chauffeuring her to Mother's Day Out, gymnastics, and Drama Kids while Kelly and Joselu worked. When Gabi became a "theater nerd" through CYT and Concordia, Grandma cheered her on; attending countless musicals, one-act plays, and summer stock performances. Outside of Grandma duty, Judy served for many years as an officer in Trinity's Lydia Guild service organization and worked weekly in the church's food pantry after Hurricane Harvey. As if that weren't enough, she and Johnnie also started their own business, converting a box truck into The Mobile Cop Shop. For 35 years, they spent weekday evenings and nights driving to the academy and police substations throughout the greater Houston area, offering convenient and affordable police supplies to dedicated and grateful officers.

Gracious, unassuming, hard-working, kind, and humble—this was Judy. She held strong opinions yet never sought the spotlight. She preferred to show her love through generosity and thoughtfulness, choosing just the right gifts or preparing loved ones' favorite desserts and snacks. Only in recent years did she finally proclaim that cherry pie was her favorite. She did not create fanfare but quietly made every occasion meaningful. As her granddaughter, Gabi, said, "Grandma is the strongest person I know." Judy never complained about physical ailments; she was always caring for others.

After a long and hard-fought battle with cancer, Judy passed away peacefully on the morning of Saturday, November 22, at home and in the presence of her family—just where she wanted to be. She was preceded in death by her father, Cal; mother, Peggy; sister, Linda; and brother, Richard. She is survived by her dear husband of nearly 63 years, Johnnie; daughter and son-in-law, Kelly and Joselu Gonzalez; son Andy; granddaughter Gabi Gonzalez; several nieces and nephews, and countless church friends. She is also remembered with love by her "grow group" brothers and sisters in Christ—Betty and Alan, Brian and Millie, Charles and Kathleen, Bill and Dee, Dave (and Alyce), and Greg and Diane—who have shared life's experiences and supported one another for many years. She will be greatly missed.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Kenyan Schools of Hope, the Trinity Klein Concert Series, the Trinity Klein Lydia Guild, or the Restoration Hope Food Pantry in honor of Judy.