Judith Eva Edwards was born in 1940 in Michigan, the daughter of Elmer Richard and Pauline Minnie (Cutler) Edwards. When the 1940 census was enumerated, Judith was living with her parents and older sister Sylvia in Hazel Park, Oakland County, Michigan. Her father was a gas station attendant and her mother a homemaker. In 1950, the Edwards family (then including Judy’s younger brother Donald) was living in Sterling, Macomb County, Michigan. At that time her father was a polisher in a polish shop, and her mother was keeping house. Judith was married in 1959 to James Wilbert Williams, also a Michigan native. Judith holds a BS degree from Eastern Michigan University in English, Speech and Social Studies. Mrs. Judy Williams was a member of the Southfield High School English Department in 1961; she must have been just out of college and a first-year teacher. The Williamses had three children, Jeffrey, Jennifer and Jeanie.
I first met Mrs. Williams in the fall of 1988, when I was assigned to her 10th grade honors English class at Avondale High School. In my junior year I also took her required one-semester speech class, so I felt I knew her as well as any teenager “knows” an adult teacher. There are some high school courses I know I took without any existing memory of being in the classroom or specifics on what I learned there…but I remember so much of my time with Mrs. Williams. Our class was maybe not as close to her as my brother’s class – he and his classmates at the time called her “Judy” to her face, something we wouldn’t have gotten away with – but I felt close to her and felt that she had a reasonable understanding of what my life was like. When we studied Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar she let some of us act out some of the scenes (my friend Michael still has some video from that fiasco, which he delights in showing his children); when we studied Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird she let us watch the 1962 Gregory Peck movie adaptation.
When we studied Jerome Lawrence & Robert Lee’s Inherit the Wind, I was so busy with my many extracurricular activities (I believe we had the Inherit the Wind test during tech week for The Fantasticks) that I had neither read the book nor studied for the test. Mrs. Williams always let us use all the resources at our disposal for tests, which were almost always essay tests. So I was there with my paperback of the book, my notes from class, my dictionary, my thesaurus, and I think even the Cliffs Notes for Inherit the Wind – and even with all that right there, I only managed to squeak a C on the test. I just now pulled out my report card from that year, and sure enough, right there in the sea of As, I had a B+ for the third quarter in English – because of that test. It was the only assigned reading in all high school that I didn’t do. After the test, we watched the 1960 movie adaptation of the play.
When we studied Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Mrs. Williams also let us watch the 1958 Elizabeth Taylor/Paul Newman movie in class. She also told us what she referred to as her “cathouse story”. When her children were small, they were the only kids in the neighborhood who had a cat instead of a dog. They were insanely jealous of all their friends who had dogs and the attendant paraphernalia – leashes, dog toys, doghouses, etc., and all the activities kids could do with dogs in which their cat would not deign to participate – playing fetch, going on walks, and building a doghouse. After much arguing, they finally convinced their mother to allow them to use some scrap lumber in the garage to build a cathouse for their cat. She agreed they could build the house, all the while telling them that the cat would never willingly set foot in there. The Williams children used their neighbor’s doghouse as an example, and that doghouse had a metal ring attached to the front of it, to which the dog’s owners could hook on a leash or chain. Once the house was built, the children came rushing into the house to tell their mother that all they needed now was a hooker for the cathouse.
We read a lot of controversial stuff in Mrs. Williams’ class. We had a lot of deep conversations in there. Her class was probably the first forge that welded 20 or 25 or the kids that were in it so closely together. (Mrs. Patterson’s 11th grade honors English and Mr. Welty’s 12th grade honors English continued that work.) We didn’t all agree, but we did all respect each other when we came out of those experiences. I think Mrs. Williams’ class was my first experience with a research paper – that year we all had to choose an author and read several of their works, study their biographical information, and write a paper about the author and their work. I chose Ernest Hemingway and read at least four of his books that year. I have come back to his work repeatedly over my adult life; because of that assignment I think I have an appreciation for his stories that a lot of people who were forced only to read The Old Man and the Sea and A Farewell to Arms don’t understand.
I was late to school one time, held up through no fault of my own by my then-boyfriend who was late picking me up. I had Mrs. Williams’ class first hour, and when I arrived, still wearing my coat and with my full backpack because I had not taken the time to stop at my locker, I knew the rules. I quietly went to Mrs. Williams’ desk, where she was in the process of checking in an assignment that everyone had turned in. I gave her my paper, quietly apologized for being late, and she nodded, winked, and went back to her work. I was not marked tardy. She had told us all in the first week of school that life is unpredictable and she would never hold an absence or tardy against us if we would only apologize when it happened and never allow it to become a habit.
In speech class I’m sure Mrs. Williams knew I was even present under protest. Speech was a required course in those days. We had to give several different types of speeches in that class – extemporaneous, informative, persuasive, demonstrative, motivational, and probably more. Because of what I know now was crippling performance and social anxiety, I do not remember the subjects of any of my speeches. I can remember my heart rate increasing every time a speech was completed and it was time for Mrs. Williams to select the next person. I was always as prepared as I could be for speech class – notecards when we were allowed to have them, having practiced in front of the bathroom mirror dozens of times, having read in front of my mom or a friend…it never made any difference. Not one time did I feel confident about giving a speech or even relieved after it was over. Even after my academic rival Jeff gave an extemporaneous speech in that class with his shirt sticking through his open pants fly, I felt no joy because I could so easily see something similar happening to me – well, very little joy anyway.
Despite my crippling fear of speech-giving, I rarely had stage fright in plays or musicals. I was on stage playing a part as often as I was backstage during my theatre stints in high school, and perhaps it was that then, I was with people I knew cared about me and would not (in general) ridicule me for mistakes. Perhaps it was then, I wasn’t me, I was playing a part so I was someone else, and that imaginary character would take the brunt of any criticism. I also, as an adult and a teacher, never felt afraid of speaking in front of my classes. I was always a little nervous on the first day of school, not knowing what the year held or knowing any of my new students very well, but I wasn’t afraid of speaking in front of a group. I’m sure Mrs. Williams has something to do with that, even though at the time I felt speech class was engineered solely to make me anxious and uncomfortable.
I had speech class in the first semester of our junior year. In the second semester, which would have begun in late January, I took a creative writing course with Mrs. Pavloff. This would probably explain why I had no idea until today that at the end of February 1990, Mrs. Williams’ husband passed away, when he was only fifty-two years old:
The Times Herald (Port Huron, MI), 27 February 1990. “James W. Williams. Fair Haven – James W. Williams, 52, died Monday, Feb. 26, 1990 in Harper Hospital in Detroit. He was born Nov. 16, 1937 in Detroit. He married Judith E. Edwards on May 19, 1959 in Utica. Mr. Williams was a senior engineer at Fair Haven Industries. He enjoyed many hobbies including sailing and flying. He is survived by his wife, Judith; son, Jeffrey Williams of Royal Oak; daughters, Jennifer Williams of Royal Oak and Jeanie Williams of Warren; one grandson, Alex Williams of Royal Oak, and a sister, Virginia Williams of California. A memorial service will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Gilbert Funeral Home in Algonac. Visiting is from 7 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday.”
I do remember Mrs. Williams occasionally mentioning sailing. Her students could always tell when spring had truly arrived – her work wardrobe would change dramatically from the dark-colored dresses and skirt suits that she wore from the first day of school, to the bright colors and whites of her warm-weather wardrobe – “sailing clothes”. I think sailing must have been an activity that she and her husband enjoyed doing together.
In the spring of 1991 when I was removed from class to the front office of the high school so that our principal could tell me that I’d been confirmed as the class valedictorian, he said, (and I quote here, because it was later important that I remembered exactly what he said), “If you want any help with your graduation speech, Mrs. Williams will be available for advice after school on Tuesday.” Because he said “IF,” I went to work after school on Tuesday as scheduled and did not ask for help with my graduation speech. My point of view was that as I needed to work to pay for college, which was coming up quickly, and that I had taken Mrs. William’s speech class the prior school year and gotten an “A” (thus securing the position of valedictorian), I didn’t need any help working on my speech. I wrote what I still consider to be a great valedictory (I was even quoted by the yearbook editor), practiced it many times, had a couple of friends make notes on it, and showed up to graduation with three sheets of paper so well-worn from my practicing and nervous folding that they were soft like cloth. I can still remember how I felt, when I looked up from my pre-processional conversation with my friend Robert to see Joe Coe in front of me, red-faced with anger and exertion, spluttering, “You didn’t have your speech approved by Mrs. Williams!” In the calmest headspace I have ever felt in the face of confrontation, I looked at him and said, “You said IF I wanted help. I had to work and I didn’t want help. It’s right here if you want to read it.” And I held out my limp and dog-eared sheets of paper. He waved me off and stamped away, mumbling something.
I went back to the high school sometime between 1991 and 1995, I believe to pick up my sister from school while I was home from college on a visit. While I was in the building, I ran into Mrs. Williams in the hallway; she remembered me, and we had a quick catchup. I was able to tell her that I was going to be a teacher, and she warned me against it (a common thread in all my adult interactions with my former teachers).
In about 2003, Judy was married a second time, to James Edsel Doughty. James passed away in 2020:
“James Edsel Doughty “Jim” passed September 19, 2020 at the age of 80. Born in Kenvir, KY on July 24, 1940 to James S. and Jewell Doughty (nee Hudson). Former resident of Madison Heights and Rochester Hills, MI. He attended Lincoln High School and then started working as a welder and machine operator. He then became a carpenter and worked with Edrick M. Owen, Inc. He retired in 1998 after 29 years. Proud U.S. Army Veteran, and in his spare time enjoyed golfing, fishing and volunteer work with St. Luke’s Wednesday Willing Workers. Beloved husband of Judith for 17 years. Cherished father of James A., Joel R., and bonus father to Jeffrey, Jennifer and Jeanie. Dear grandfather of Jessica, Brian and James, great-grandfather of Chad and Timothy. Brother of William S. (Edna). He was preceded in death by his first wife of 38 years, Janice, and his sister June Barthelmeh (Russell). Family will receive friends Wednesday 9:30 am to 12:30 pm at A.J. Desmond & Sons 2600 Crooks Rd. Troy (248) 362-2500. Graveside service to follow at White Chapel Cemetery. Memorial tributes suggested to Alzheimer’s Association.”
Judy Doughty is 85 years old and still resides in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It has been thirty-seven years since I had any regular contact with her. She probably doesn’t remember me at all (and good for her, if she doesn’t clutter her brilliant mind with memories of what must be thousands of former students!) but occasionally I still miss her practical and understanding ways and all the life lessons she gave us.
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