BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Some sad news to share from the WCAX Team. A beloved member of the Channel 3 News family has died.
Judy Simpson simply made mornings better. Viewers woke up to her familiar face, warm welcomes and clever conversations for years.
Judy joined WCAX in 1997 as a reporter. In 2000, she became the Channel 3 News morning anchor, alongside her work husband, Meteorologist Gary Sadowsky, and sports anchor Shawna Lidsky. The trio triumphed.
Judy became the trusted friend who kept us informed. She took the job seriously. But boy did that lady love to joke, too. Her quick wit, dry humor and friendly ribbing made us all fall in love.
Judy was a trailblazer. Before joining us at WCAX, she was the state’s first woman news director, working for WVNY. She started there in 1985. We were lucky she made the move to become part of our team.
Her glass-ceiling-breaking career, divine storytelling, and dedication to Vermont news and the people who live here won her many awards, including the Vermont Association of Broadcasters’ Distinguished Service Award for her commitment to journalism. And in 2017, Judy was inducted into the VAB Hall of Fame.
Judy retired from Channel 3 News in 2017 but kept her gig as host of “Across the Fence” for more than a year longer.
We hated to see her go in 2018, but we were thrilled that she and her husband, Phil, who also worked at WCAX, in sales, got the chance to chill at their new home in Florida.
The pair loved parenting their two kids and grandparenting their three grandbabies. That was Judy’s new job.
At 64, the wife, mom, grandmom and true Vermont journalist lost her battle with melanoma. But before she left us, she won all of our hearts.
Rest in peace, sweet friend.