Judy Ann Eagleton

Judy Ann (Smith) Eagleton passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 12, 2022 at home surrounded by her family and friends. She was 81 years old.

Friends may visit at MMS – Payne Funeral Home on Wednesday, March 16 from 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., with family receiving visitors from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Funeral services for Judy will be 10:00 a.m. Thursday, March 17, 2022 at First Baptist Church of Claremore and burial will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery. Following the burial, friends are invited to attend a reception in memory of Judy at the Claremore Museum of History. Attendees at the funeral services are asked to wear attire honoring one of Judy’s favorite teams: the Oklahoma Sooners or the Claremore Zebras.

Born October 6, 1940 in her family’s home in Claremore, to Vergil Eagon Smith and Nathamay Brown Smith, Judy received her education from Claremore Public Schools as a proud member of the Class of 1958. During the 1950s, her family owned and operated The Cadet Grill, a prominent Claremore restaurant and gathering place, and she worked there as a waitress throughout her childhood. Judy’s parents were special people who instilled in her the qualities that became the foundation for the rest of her life: a strong work ethic, and a deep love for her family, her community, and Jesus.

Following a chance meeting at the local teen center and a whirlwind courtship, Judy married Bill Eagleton on December 7, 1957. The couple made their home in Claremore, where they raised their three children. She was a dedicated wife, mother, and homemaker, all while simultaneously working at Claremore Finance and Trinity Baptist Church over the years. Judy had a way of making holidays, birthdays, and other family events special, whether by spending days cooking the perfect meal, staying up late to finish a hotly contested Pitch tournament, or taking the time to write the perfect greeting card. Ultimately, Judy had a way of making you feel special because she was your wife, your momma, your gram, or your friend.

After her children were grown, Judy relished being a grandmother, planning sleepovers on her living room floor, traveling all over Oklahoma to every sporting event, and generally embodying what it meant to be Gram. Following her retirement, Judy enjoyed taking dance classes and traveling with her girlfriends. For a period of time, it was often joked that she was hard to keep up with due to her busy schedule of dance recitals and trips. In more recent years, Judy could often be found running errands around Claremore with one of her three children, who were devoted to making sure she could stop by Braum’s for a black walnut ice cream cone, meet old friends for a burger at Boomerang Diner, and do the many other day-to-day activities around town that she loved, and that made Claremore her home.

Judy loved the Oklahoma Sooners, never missing an opportunity to don the crimson and cream and watch a football, basketball, or softball game. However, her true passion was the Claremore Zebras and, more generally, the city of Claremore. She was a mainstay at all homecoming festivities and other community events each year and never met a zebra print she did not like. Judy began collecting Claremore memorabilia in elementary school and the collection she built over a lifetime became the foundation for the Claremore Museum of History, which granted her Board Member Emeritus status in 2016.

Judy’s greatest accomplishment, though, was her discipleship and the many friends and family who came to know Jesus through knowing Judy and the way she led her life. A cherished wife, Momma, daughter, sister, Gram, and Great-Gram will be missed by all who knew and loved her. Judy is survived by her son Bill Eagleton, Jr. and his wife Darleen of Shingle Springs, California; daughter Shelly Crum and her husband Bob of Bentonville, Arkansas; son-in-law Dan Meredith of Claremore, Oklahoma; sister Nancy Bradshaw of Piedmont, Oklahoma; eight grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and numerous nephews, nieces and cousins. Judy was predeceased by her husband Bill Eagleton; daughter Kim Meredith; parents Vergil and Nathamay Smith; brother Dr. Vergil Smith; brother Tommy Lee Smith; brother Jerry Smith; and brother-in-law Joe Bradshaw.

If you would like to honor Judy’s memory with a memorial contribution you may do so by contributing to the Claremore Museum of History, 121 N. Weenonah Avenue, Claremore, Oklahoma 74017.

View and sign Judy’s online tribute at www.mmsfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/Judy-Eagleton .