Judy Ann Lander, 79, passed away peacefully on November 19, 2025, surrounded by family in her Tennessee home. She was born on February 6, 1946, to Bert and Lola Lewis in Hornell, New York. She often spoke fondly of her upbringing on the farm at the old homestead, where she would help her father with chores in the barn and learn how to craft, cook, and care for her family alongside her mother in the home. She grew up with one sister, Betty Lewis, who was a proud elementary school teacher, and one brother, Terry Lewis, who always made her laugh. Her eyes lit up when reminiscing about riding horses bareback and staring at the moon under a blanket of stars so bright she felt she could touch them. Judy’s life motto was “Because I can!” She was incredibly brave and the life of every party, who flipped dune buggies, drove go-karts, and never turned down a dare or a challenge. She was also a girly girl who loved flowers, bright colors, and sparkles. She always had her hair braided, smelled like perfume, and had her nails done with the most beautiful designs.

She was the proud mother of five children, Veronica, Lisa, Amy, Jeremy, and Scott. While her children were still in school, she also welcomed a foreign exchange student, Lotfi, who quickly became a forever son to her and a brother to the five siblings. Family was undeniably the center of her universe. While other people’s lives may have centered on career aspirations or travel plans, hers revolved around her children. Her deeply complex, profoundly enduring, and at the same time simple and pure love remained steadfast throughout her lifetime.

That legacy of love expanded as her family grew to include sons-in-law Terry Brethen and Marty Glisson, daughters-in-law Tessa Lander and Samira Bel Hadj Ali, and a continually growing circle of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and beloved grand pets. She was quick to share funny memories about each and every one of them to anyone who would listen, always beginning with “I will never forget when…” Though these stories were repeated hundreds of times, her eyes would sparkle, and she would belly laugh as if she were right back in that very moment. She was right; she truly never forgot.

She worked a wide range of jobs throughout her life, usually more than one at a time, to provide for her family. She spoke proudly about her time as a nurse’s aide, which was perfectly designed for her as she was already a professional at the necessary skills, and continued to use them throughout her life. Judy was known for her kindness, expert-level caretaking, loving smile, steady positivity, and unwavering sense of optimism. Whether a funny face or a rapid change of subject, she would stop at nothing to make someone smile. She was accepting of everyone! She was known as many people’s “Nashville Mama,” and one simply could not count the number of people who call her Nannah. She always had a warm hug and a listening ear for anyone who needed it, and she always made it clear that you were never too big to sit on her lap and let her make it all better. She even had famous wrestlers, musicians, baseball players, and security guards “sit on her lap” when they needed some motherly love on crazy Nashville nights. As time progressed and her children and grandchildren lived farther away, she always found a way to be as present as she could. Whether clapping after every song on livestream, FaceTiming after a doctor’s appointment, or responding to a text saying the plane had landed, she was there. She answered every single phone call. No matter the time, it was known that her ringer was on high volume. While warm and safe, she was resilient, determined, and carried her pain with a silent strength and brave face, dedicated to showing up for those around her.

She started many traditions, including yearly traditions like displaying her Christmas village and daily traditions like racing to say “I love you” before a sip of morning coffee. Judy loved reading. She read many, many, many books and wrote down each one to ensure she did not read the same book twice. She went through several Nooks, as she read so often that the technology could not keep up with her. She also enjoyed baking, cooking, and sharing family recipes like Grandma Lewis’s baked beans and the macaroni salad that most of us could probably live off of. She loved to make crafts and to crochet, knit, sew, quilt, and create. She adored all animals, from a kitty that cuddled in her hood while she did her farm chores as a little girl, to calming a hyper pit bull in her seventies; she loved them all. She and her daughter had a dog, Banjo, who insisted on walking her from her room to the bathroom daily, checking on her after every cough, and shaking his water off right next to her chair. She also enjoyed watching all sorts of veterinary shows, and her favorite show was “Pit Bulls and Parolees.” Anyone who knew her knew she had the most fun watching WWE, a passion she shared with her daughter, her "adopted" grandson Brian (Juicy), and her great-grandkids. Alongside all of her hobbies, music brought her the most peace throughout her life. She would clap, tap her toes, and smile from ear to ear in the front row of every show, beaming with pride for her guitar-playing son.

The depth of her love is boundless and transcends time, space, and distance. Accompanied by music, she was beautifully dressed, her hair braided, her nails done, and smelling of perfume as she was surrounded by her children when she took her last breath here on Earth. 
a

She is survived by her sister-in-law, Diane Lewis; her children, Veronica Barbis, Lisa Brethen, Amy Glisson, Jeremy Lander (Tessa), Scott Lander, and Lotfi Belhaj Ali (Samira Ghlila); her grandchildren, Darby Harkness (Jerry), Brian Brethen, Patrick Brethen, Bruno Camocardi, Shellene (Justin), Chris, Jessica, Rachelle (Ethan), Victoria (Harrison), Joshua, Rebeccah (Ian), Claire, Ian, Leila (Ahmed), and Mariem; great-grandchildren, Alannah, Lily, Ryder, Caeden, Nia, Atlas, Phoenix, Zayden, Sarra, and Lyna; and grand pets, Theo, Winston, Freyda, Daisy, Gunner, Vixen, Banjo, Everest, Dolly, and Scout. She also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and countless “adopted” kids and grandkids whom she held close to her heart.

Though her family deeply grieves such a great loss, she was greeted by quite the “welcome home” party on the other side. She was preceded in death by her parents, Bert and Lola Lewis; her siblings, Betty Lewis, Terry Lewis, and her baby brother, Raymond Lewis; her sons-in-law, Marty Glisson and Terry Brethen; her granddaughter, Chasity Glisson; her great-granddaughter, Aurora Barbis-Budzynski; and her beloved grand pets, Noel, Daisy, Devlyn, Pepper, Maggie, Spooky, Britney, Kasey, and Derby. She was also preceded in death by many aunts, uncles, cousins, and dear friends.

The family would like to extend their deepest, heartfelt gratitude to her California aide and friend, Nancy Nguyen, as well as the entire hospice care team at Caris in Dickson, TN, who supported the family and provided knowledgeable medical support and emotional care while informing and involving her every step of the way. Above all, the family is immensely and forever grateful to Amy Glisson, Judy’s daughter, for taking care of Judy over the years and until her very last moment. Amy provided dedicated care with fierce protection, meticulous attention to detail, and a spiritual connection that words fail to describe.

She will be deeply missed and forever loved. Her kindness lives on in everyone she touched. Our hearts are broken, yet comforted knowing she is out of pain and reunited with loved ones dancing, riding horses bareback, belly laughing, clapping to music, and smiling as she watches over her family. A link to live-stream the service will be provided for those unable to attend in person.

A service will be held on April 25, 2026, on the land where her home is located in Dickson, TN. It will be a celebration of her life, accompanied by a tree-planting ceremony and the dedication of a glider bench so that her family can “sit and rock a while.”

Detailed arrangements will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in her honor to MusiCares, an organization that supports the humans behind the music. (https://www.musicares.org/don…)

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/judy-lander/obituary/

Copy