Judy Yang-Murawski

To have known JudyYang-Murawski was to have loved her. A staunch advocate of diversity and multiculturalism, this Oak Park resident of four decades passed away after a twenty-one month fight with pancreatic cancer, on January 13, 2026.

Born on January 28, 1956, Judy grew up in Andersonville, before her parents, Thaddeus and Grace Yang, moved her and her sister, Theresa, to Skokie. Here, her father helped found the Chinese and Educational Association and the Chinese Language School. Judy attended Niles East High School and entered the University of Illinois at the age of sixteen. She completed her major in special education there where she met her future husband, Dennis Murawski. Judy completed a graduate degree in special education later from Northeastern University.

Moving back to Chicago, Judy soon found a teaching position with the Oak Park elementary schools where she taught children with diverse learning needs at Whittier and Longfellow. She formed a strong bond with a loyal group of teachers affectionately known as the Eight Balls.

Soon, Judy and Dennis moved to Oak Park to be closer to her job. In their residences there, Judy became renowned for her magnificent gardens which she cultivated with meticulous care. She continued this passion when she and Dennis moved back to her childhood home in Skokie five years ago. Here, Judy maintained her mother's garden, resulting in the house winning that suburb's Beautification Award in 2022.

This highly-skilled teacher was also an accomplished artist who created amazing pieces in a variety of different domains: unique stained glass, elaborate wall hangings, meticulously crafted paintings, colorful woven baskets, vibrant ceramics, and intricate origami pieces. She concentrated on origami in the last few years of her life, giving many of her finished objects to her doctors, nurses, and attendants at Rush and UIC Hospitals. Throughout this time, she was held by a generous community of friends, teachers, artists, and neighbors who remained present and deeply supportive, helping to buoy her spirits.

In August of 2025, Judy was able to delay her chemotherapy treatments in order to visit Scotland. Having read all of the Game of Thrones and Harry Potter books, Judy sought to visit the land of dragons, contending that the dragon was her own spirit animal.

Her participation in a clinical trial at UIC showed evidence of progress for a while, but she became too weak to continue it. She told the doctors there that she hoped her entrance into this trial would possibly help other future patients stricken with this disease.

Judy is survived by her husband, Dennis, her sister, Theresa, her son, Nathan, his wife, Christine, Judy's daughter, Aleia, and her partner, Sam. She will be greatly missed by her French Bulldogs, Chloe and Puck.

A Celebration of Life for Judy will be held at the North Shore Unitarian Church, in Deerfield, on 2/21, starting at 2:00 PM. Wear something with the color purple, with a dragon design, or with anything bold or playful. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network < https://pancan.org/ >.

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/judy-mei-tzeng-yang-murawski/obituary/

Copy