Judith Kay Fontaine, age 79, passed away on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at her residence in St. Elmo, Illinois, with her family beside her.

Graveside service will take place at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 at the Kankakee Memorial Gardens in Kankakee, Illinois. Tim Fontaine will officiate the service. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 4:00 PM on Thursday, August 20, 2026 at The Table Church, 501 N Main Street, St. Elmo, Illinois. In lieu of flowers, memorials may go to The Table Church or the donor’s choice.

Judith was born December 13, 1946, in Watseka, Illinois, the daughter of Harold Long and Maxine (Meents) Long. Judith married Alvin Andrew Fontaine on June 28, 1964, and began a life filled with love and children. Judith devoted much of her life to her family as a loving wife and mother. She was actively involved in the lives of her children, serving as both a Girl Scout and Boy Scout Leader, a room mother at her children’s school, and a member of the PTA.

Judith served as a dietary manager at Heritage House/Heritage Village, she also worked in the kitchen at the Villa in Kankakee, Illinois.

Judith had a strong personality and a gift for making life special. She loved shopping, crafting with her Cricut, and creating mugs and other personalized gifts. She also loved bringing people together. In years past, her backyard parties became legendary among family and friends and were remembered long after they were over.

Perhaps most of all, Judith had a way of making every holiday and birthday feel important. She decorated for nearly every occasion and especially loved Christmas. She loved to cook, and Christmas was made a little sweeter by her homemade fudge, divinity, and fruitcake, which became treasured family traditions.

Judith is survived by her five children, Tim (Danielle) Fontaine of St. Elmo, Illinois, Mary Hirsch of South Palm Beach, Florida, Tammy (Gary) Berens of Cullom, Illinois, Brain (Anne) Fontaine of La Porte, Indiana, and Shannon Clark of St. Elmo, Illinois; her sister, Pamela Murphy of Puyallup, Washington; 15-granchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, as well as many other family members and friends, who will dearly miss her.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Alvin Andrew Fontaine; her brother, Michael Long and her sister Joyce Hupel.