Judy Woodard Bell, beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, entered heaven peacefully and gracefully on December 27, 2025, surrounded by family and love.

Judy dedicated her professional life to leadership in banking and human resources, serving as a trusted executive and consultant. Recognized for her integrity, wisdom, and commitment to people, she later founded Judy Bell Consulting, through which she helped countless organizations strengthen their human resource practices, played a key role in the historic merger of Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools into a unified system, and was appointed by Governor Bill Haslam as Human Resources Administrator for the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development in Nashville.

Throughout her career, Judy's leadership and service were widely recognized. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Human Resource Management–Memphis, the Human Resources Management Professional Excellence Award for the State of Tennessee, and was named Woman of the Year by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for her fundraising efforts. She was also honored with the "Smart Award" by Girls Inc. of Memphis and was selected by Memphis Woman Magazine as one of 50 Women Who Make a Difference. These distinctions reflected both her professional excellence and her heart for service.

Judy was preceded in death by her parents, William Paul Woodard and Velma Fox Woodard.

She leaves behind her two children, Brad Bell (Leah) and Whitney Butts (Daniel); five grandchildren, Haley, Ryleigh, Brayden, Wesley, and Avery, who were the light of her life; and her siblings, Susan West (Mike), Bill Woodard (Laura), and Ann Roach (Ken). She is also survived by her beloved cats, Gabbie and Isaac, whom she cherished deeply, and her grand-pups Odie and Hattie, who brought her great joy.

A viewing will be held on January 2, 2026, at 12pm at Northridge Woodhaven Cemetery and Funeral Home, 6755 US-51, Millington, Tennessee 38053, Services will begin at 2pm with burial immediately following. Friends and family are invited to gather afterward at Grace Community Church, 1880 Fite Rd, Memphis, Tennessee 38127

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Judy's memory to the House of Mews in Memphis, Tennessee.

Judy will be remembered for her strength, compassion, and unwavering devotion to her family. Her legacy lives on through the many lives she touched and the family she loved so deeply.