Judith E. (Quirk) Hurley

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Judith E. (Quirk) Hurley, 72, of Warwick, passed away peacefully at home on June 15, 2019 in the care of her adoring family. She was the treasured wife of William K. Hurley for almost 50 years, a milestone she missed by just two months after a long, heroic battle with cancer.

Judy earned diplomas from South Kingstown High School and the University of Rhode Island and master’s degrees in motherhood and marriage. As a true Rhody girl who loved the ocean and “getting her head under water,” seeing her granddaughter, Josie, riding waves at Narragansett Beach was one of the highlights of her final summer. She was uniquely compassionate and interested in people and had a rare ability to listen to and connect with others.

Always one to spoil those she loved, Judy’s care packages and sugar cookies were legendary. She and Bill loved a good road trip, cooking at home and ice-cold Manhattans. She was a talented photographer, voracious reader and grammar fanatic, a trait she was proud to have passed on to her children. She loved to feel the wind on her face on “weathery” days. Watching her dance with dad was one of the great joys of her children's lives. She loved art, music, playing the piano and poring through cookbooks. But mostly, she loved her family, who are devastated to have lost her.

In addition to her husband, Judy is survived by her children, Erin N. Zilis and her husband, Michael, of Corona Del Mar, California, Neil P. Hurley and his children, Caroline and Jackson, of Denver, Colorado, and Elizabeth M. Webb, her husband Matthew, and their daughter, Josephine, of Warwick; a brother, Dr. William G. Quirk and his wife, Dr. Coralie Shaw, of Guilford, Conn.; a sister, Mary Q. Connelly of New York City, N.Y.; and a sister-in-law, Kathleen Quirk of Niantic, Conn. She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur L. and Lucy I. (Fogarty) Quirk and her brother, Arthur L. Quirk Jr.

Her family will be forever grateful to Dr. Mary Anne Fenton and the staff at Rhode Island Hospital for the exceptional care and treatment they provided over the past 10 years, as she bravely fought to stay alive for those who needed her.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend visiting hours on Thursday, June 20 from 4-7 p.m. at Barrett & Cotter Funeral Home, 1328 Warwick Ave., Warwick. Her funeral will be held on Friday, June 21 at 8:45 a.m. from the funeral home, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. at St. Rita’s Catholic Church, 722 Oakland Beach Ave., Warwick. Burial services will follow.

Contributions in her memory may be made to Horizons, Inc. (horizonsct.org), an organization dear to Judy and her family.