Judith Faye Bakken, 82, of Eau Claire, passed away Friday June 16, 2023, at Augusta Health and Rehabilitation.
Judy was born to Claire and Ruth (Westlund) Metzenbauer on November 2, 1940, in Chippewa Falls. She attended a Lutheran school in Racine, Wisconsin during her childhood, and graduated from Chetek High School. She married Dennis Bakken and raised four children.
She and her family moved to Eau Claire in 1974. She owned two businesses, Bed Bath & Drapery and State Street Haven, a home for elderly persons. Judy also worked as a realtor, waitress, and homemaker. She enjoyed creating and painted ceramic pieces and found great joy sharing them with her family.
Judy is survived by her children, Tim Bakken, of Nyack, New York; Michael (Julie) Bakken, of Menomonie; Jeff Bakken, of Eau Claire; and Eva (Keith, deceased) Napolitano of Leland, North Carolina; and her grandchildren, Mariah (Jacob) Zipperer; Marissa (Jesse) Oleson; Sedona Napolitano; and Keira Bakken; a great-grandson, Hudson Zipperer, and a soon to be great-granddaughter (Baby Oleson), as well as many nieces and nephews.
Judy is preceded in death by her husband, Dennis; her parents; and her sisters, Evonne Myrman and Janet Parks.
Her funeral service will be held Friday, June 23, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at Smith Funeral Chapel, 2222 London Road, Eau Claire. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service, at 10:00 a.m., at Smith Chapel. Burial will take place after the service at Forest Hill Cemetery. Online condolences may be left below.
I knew Judy through the Home Delivery program at the Eau Claire library. I selected books I thought she might like which were then delivered to her by a volunteer. I got to know Judy by what she liked to read. Although I didn’t know her well, I could tell she was a special person who loved her family. My sympathy goes out to all of you on the loss of your mother, grandmother, and friend.