Judith (Judy) G. Wilding, of Asheboro, North Carolina, passed away on April 5, 2026. In her own words, “I didn’t see this coming,” but in many ways, no one saw Judy coming either, and a great many lives are much better off because she was a part of them. Born in Providence, Judy grew up in Rhode Island, living some of her most memorable pre-adulthood days in Foster. Moving with her family from Providence to Foster around her ‘tween years, she graduated with honors from Ponaganset High School in 1974. While in Foster, Judy’s love of farm life and animals took hold, carrying her through the rest of her days. Following undergraduate education at Rhode Island College, she started a professional career in banking and accounting, ultimately relocating to North Carolina. While in North Carolina, she lived in Raleigh, Charlotte, and Lumberton/Red Springs, finally settling in Asheboro. Between Red Springs and Asheboro, she found and applied her passion, taking her love of dogs and farming to the next level.

With her Samoyed Sebastian, Judy began working with dogs as companion and service animals in the 1980s. After being introduced to the canine grooming industry in Lumberton, and under the influence, mentorship, and coaching of a founding Central Carolina Poodle Club (CCPC) member and thereafter lifelong friend, Judy began her life’s focus on poodles with standard Cara Hai Jameson. Under Judy’s fully owner-handled showing, conditioning, and training, Jameson became an American and Canadian champion and companion dog. From there, her breeding program centered on health and temperament rather than titles, and she created a strong business model selling selected raw dog foods and supplements, acting as a trusted consultant for the same. Eventually, she added pasture-raised chickens, ducks, and their eggs to her business model, as well as a dog boarding operation dedicated to state-licensed holistic care. Judy was a long-time member of the CCPC and served as President, Vice President, Treasurer, Show Chair, Hunt Test Chair, and Match Sponsor, as well as lent her personal dream property in Asheboro to the club for many years of meetings, matches, and fellowship. Additionally, Judy was fiercely passionate as an environmental steward about her aforementioned Asheboro property, eschewing pesticides and fertilizers into the watershed of her private lake and acreage, and carrying a holistic philosophy into her care of poultry and fowl, cats and dogs alike. She thrived in the canine grooming and breeding field for many years, and produced many responsibly reared and high-quality standard poodle litters, resulting in countless happy and healthy pets for families up and down the East Coast.

Judy was a widely regarded outstanding gourmand, and she took great pleasure in the art and deliciousness of food. Whether it was for poodle club meetings and other functions, family holiday gatherings, or a simple routine meal, she had a knack for cooking and baking that made her guests ooh and ahh, and their mouths watered instantaneously when strolling into her kitchen. She is most fondly remembered for her “Italian” meal that involved almost no tomatoes and nearly all of the sausages and peppers (likely learned in her Rhode Island upbringing), her fully organic egg omelettes, her made-from-scratch cheesecake using her farm-raised duck eggs, and her exquisite dacquoise.

Although placing great weight on her privacy, Judy very much appreciated her family and friends. Her strong values placed in independence and liberty were only surpassed by her love for those closest to her. Judy also remained in contact with her childhood Rhode Island friends throughout her life, including her fondly remembered attendance at her 50th high school reunion in 2024.

Judy is predeceased by her mother Joyce (her favorite person), father Ed, step-mother Mary, and uncles Steven and Kenneth. She had a brother, David, and is survived and fondly remembered by her cousin Christiaan and numerous friends and acquaintances. Services in memory and celebration of Judy are being planned at her waterside property in Asheboro at 1pm on May 16, 2026, and in Foster later in 2026, where she will be interred next to her mother. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are requested to be made to the Central Carolina Poodle Club in support of poodle competition award, breeding, and rescue support. Please contribute via https://everloved.com/life-of…, or mail a check to CCPC c/o Debbie Welch, 355 Sam Gouge Rd, Bakersville, North Carolina 28705.

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