A pioneer of nurse-midwifery, pastor, and "let's do it" adventurer, Judith M. (Gay) Kee passed away at the age of 91. Her early life included driving a WWII Jeep in the hollers of KY to deliver babies, learning fluent French & Swahili to serve as a public health administrator and instructor of midwives during her 20 years in the Belgian Congo. It was there she built a chosen family of dear colleagues, students, and friends whom she treasured for the rest of her life.

At 52, she returned to live in the United States and married her soulmate, Ralph Kee, a Boston church planter and recent widower whose two young adult children would make her a stepmom and very proud grandmother. She was ordained as a minister and served at the International Community Church of Boston. Judy was a beloved pastor and mentor to many newcomers to this country. She welcomed and cared for each one in the way she believed Jesus called his followers to do.

Judy and Ralph lived on Wellington Street in Boston's South End. They loved urban life and were known for their vibrant commitment to the international community and for neighborhood hospitality. They were passionate about sharing the hope of their Christian faith and loved a simple shared meal or conversation with a new friend met on the street.

Judy and Ralph were birdwatchers who collected hundreds of sightings on their adventures together in New England and around the world. She enjoyed watercolor painting and loved to capture the fleeting movement of birds at the Kee family's rustic New Hampshire cabin, Camp Dana. She looked forward to their annual daffodil-viewing trip to Cape Cod and was always up for a day trip. She laughed with gusto and cheered for her loved ones' joys.

Judy spent her last years as caretaker for her husband and passed away three weeks after her sweet Ralph died of Alzheimer's. As a couple, they had a fun and meaningful life together and cherished their family and friends. Judy and Ralph finished their journeys at Forestdale Park Senior Living in Malden, where they had wonderful friends and caregivers.

Born to Arthur Evans and Marguerite Winn Gay in Nashua, NH, Judy was the eldest of five siblings. She graduated from Nashua High School, Gordon College, Concord Hospital School of Nursing, Frontier Nursing Service Midwifery Program, and Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. She was commissioned as a missionary at Trinity Baptist Church in Nashua, NH, and served for 20 years with the Conservative Baptist Foreign Mission Society.

She was predeceased by Ralph Kee, her husband of 38 years, and by her parents, Arthur E. Gay and Marguerite Winn Gay. Siblings include the late Arthur Gay (Joann), C. Kimball Gay (Nora), the late Shawna Winn, and Carol Bailey (Gene).

Judy is survived by her sister-in-law, Rita Kee McDonald; stepchildren, Dana Kee (Chara) and Doreen McMurry (Maurice); grandchildren, Lindsay Yungbluth (Dennis), Rex (Anne Wells), and Isaac (Katie Jardine) McMurry; and Josiah, Noah, Timothy, and Joanne Kee. She also leaves many beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Family and friends are invited to gather in honor of Judy's life during Visiting Hours at the Robinson Funeral Home, 809 Main St., Melrose on Saturday, April 25 from 10am-12pm, followed by her Funeral Service at 12pm. For those taking public transportation, please take the Orange Line to Oak Grove. Private interment in Edgewood Cemetery, Nashua, NH.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Judy's memory to Frontier Nursing University (2050 Lexington Road, Versailles, KY 40383), HEAL Africa (N6228 Korth Highlands Rd., Lake Mills, WI 53551), or South End Neighborhood Church (PO Box 180740, Boston, MA 02118).