Judi Simon-Bouton Obituary

Judi Simon-Bouton passed away peacefully on September 6th, 2023. On her final day, she was surrounded by music, laughter, and the love of family. Judi was a beloved mother, wife, daughter, sister, grandmother, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, aunt, cousin, and friend. Judith Esther Simon was born December 9th, 1950, to Lorraine (Yaseen) Simon and Harvey Simon, and raised in Watertown, New York. While at Watertown High School, Judi spent a summer as an exchange student in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and was a sister to a Peruvian student during her senior year. She built an extended, loving family through those experiences. She is survived by her older brother, Richard Simon. Judi attended Cazenovia College, earned her B. S. in Elementary Education in 1974 from the University of Vermont, and earned a Master of Education degree from Antioch University New England. She was an educator with a deep commitment and passion for helping all students thrive. She taught in a one-room schoolhouse, in grade-level classrooms, offered enrichment programs, and taught specialized programs including Reading Recovery. Her first teaching position was in Hinesburg, Vermont and she subsequently taught in Vermont communities including Hartland, Putney, Grafton, Reading, Montpelier, Weathersfield, Athens, and in Lebanon, NH. Judi met Jon Bouton at UVM and they married near Watertown, New York on July 13th, 1975. During their 48 years of marriage, they shared their passions, built close and strong friendships, created a warm and welcoming home, and built a family. After moving to the village of Taftsville in Woodstock, Vermont in 1983, they adopted two children, Liza (Elizabeth) and Micah. With two preschoolers, Judi left classroom teaching to join Pentangle Arts where she developed an award-winning program to bring professional artists into local schools to work with students. Her boundless passion for the arts manifested in her explorations into batik, weaving, knitting, rug hooking, book making, and quilting. She made quilts at a dizzying rate and gave countless of them away as gifts--each thoughtfully crafted for their recipient. They were whimsical, beautiful, vibrant, and always colorful. Through her role with Pentangle, she hosted numerous artists and musicians in her home and loved all performances--from Broadway shows to the plays her grandkids and neighbors starred in. She was deeply involved in the community and driven to make the world more just, equitable, and kind. She articulated many of her beliefs through the bumper stickers that adorned her cars, and the pins she wore proudly on her colorful clothes. She built meaningful relationships as a mentor and gave her time freely--always available to offer a helping hand. Judi embraced food as a form of nurturing and exploration of different cultures. She connected with people through food, from digging through her impressive collection of cookbooks to make samples for the community, to inviting Dartmouth students from abroad to join our family for a home-cooked meal, to lovingly offering food to anyone for a milestone or occasion--big or small. Judi faced the cruelty of Alzheimer's disease with fortitude, never letting it derail her humor, warmth, generosity, and kindness. She will be missed deeply and often, but her beautiful memory and spirit will continue to inspire. We will hold a celebration of her life on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 10:30am at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 7 Church Street, Woodstock, VT. We will celebrate her fun, whimsical, joyous life. We invite all to wear something colorful in her honor, to bring finger foods for a potluck, and if desired, to bring one of