Quarles, Judy Elizabeth Denise (Age 62) of Waldorf, Maryland

On June 21, 1957, a bouncing baby girl was born at Freeman's Hospital in Washington, D.C. to James A. and Theresa Yvonne (Jamieson) Quarles. This little girl was named Judy Denise Quarles. When Judy was to be baptized into the Catholic faith, Theresa was told by the priest that "Denise" was not a Saints name, so Judy's middle name for her baptismal certificate was changed to Elizabeth. As a result, she became Judy Elizabeth Denise Quarles.

Due to the strenuous hours her parents worked, Judy spent her childhood in Port Tobacco, Maryland with her maternal grandmother, aunts and uncles. She attended Port Tobacco Elementary School, where she was selected by the late Mrs. Annie Barbour to participate in a fifth-grade reading program. Judy loved learning from and traveling with Mrs. Barbour and was very grateful that she took the time to invest in her education. Her middle school education continued at Milton Sommers and she ultimately graduated after a brief illness from La Plata High School in 1975. A few years after graduating high school she enrolled in the Mortuary Science Program at the University of the District of Columbia.

Judy had been ill at one point or another her entire life. However, she was also a fighter her entire life, never allowing her illnesses to hold her down. Despite her medical conditions, she worked several jobs, the longest was with Guest Services, Inc., a hospitality company. On March 13, 1981, she was blessed to have a healthy baby boy, whom she was very proud of; she named him Jonathan after the tv character "Jonathan Hart" from the 1980's TV Show, Hart to Hart. She remained proud of and grateful for her loving son.

Judy loved to cook and entertain. Her hospitable spirit was inspired from her maternal grandmother, and her father's sister, her, Aunt Mattie. In addition to cooking and entertaining, She loved to travel, visiting several states, Mexico, Canada and Punta Cana, just to name a few. She was also a natural comedian. She would have her cousins/friends laughing to tears with self-stories of the outrageous things that happened to her. Judy had the uncanny ability to make you laugh and mad all in the same sentence. She was a talker who could hold a conversation with herself while you just sat and nodded your head, never getting in a word! She also had a sweet tooth, eating all kinds of candy (usually provided by her son) and preferred eating junk food over a real meal.

Judy was also the family babysitter, often taking care of her second cousins. She was always available to lend a helping hand whether it was helping family to cater, fold clothes, clean (Judy was a fanatical cleaner), or be a driver. It didn't matter the task, even when she wasn't physically up to it, she would just say, "it's my good Christian duty!"

Speaking of cleaning, Judy kept her apartment immaculate for the entire nine years she lived there. When maintenance people would come they thought she lived in a model apartment. She didn't like clutter or an unmade bed.

Judy often relied on her faith to see her through her physical challenges. She would refer to Jesus as her Lord and Savior, or the "good Lord!" She was a parishioner of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Waldorf, Maryland.

Peacefully on Sunday, April 19, 2020, Judy transitioned to eternal life in her sleep at her home in Waldorf, Maryland.

She joins in glory her parents, grandparents, sister, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Left to cherish her memory are her son, Jonathan Swann, brothers, Carson, Johnnie, and James, aunts, Delores Jamieson, Louise "Bernadette" Proctor and Patricia "Pattie" Hart, uncles, Vincent, George and Francis Jamieson, a host of cousins, other relatives and friends.

Her viewing will be held from 2pm until 5pm, on Sunday, April 26, 2020 Thornton Funeral Home, P.A., 3439 Livingston Road, Indian Head, Maryland 20640 where a private Celebration of Life will be held on Monday, April 27th. Interment St. Catherine's Church Cemetery.

Due to the restrictions imposed as a result of Covid-19, the service will be limited to the immediate family only. Please feel free to join them by live stream at the link below.

Please make sure when viewing the service that your volume mixer has been turned up on your computer and the volume (located in the right lower corner) on the actual screen has been increased.

There will be a 5 minute delay before the service appears on the screen.

https://www.thorntonfuneralhomepa.com/live-stream