Judith Ann Blakeley Obituary A true Renaissance woman left this life on December 4, 2025, when Judith Ann (Power) Blakeley, 94, of Portsmouth, R.I., formerly of South Wellfleet, Ma., passed away, surrounded by her John Clarke Nursing Center family. She was born September 29, 1931, in Harvard, Mass., to George H. Power, Sr. and Isabel (Jamieson) Power. A beloved mother, grandmother, wife, aunt, and friend to many, Judy touched more people than she could have imagined. Family, whether the one you were born into or the one you made, was everything to her.

Although she never got on a plane until she was almost 50, she embraced travel with zest. Her key to calming a fear of flying? “Avoid a morning flight; it’s unseemly to drink early in the day.” She traveled extensively to Europe, and London was a particular favorite. She loved Kensington, the V&A, the Savoy and martinis at Rules.

She grew up in a house filled with music and it was as important to her as air. She was moved beyond words by classical music, blasting Madame Butterfly in the kitchen whenever possible. Her taste was eclectic; she also loved Roy Orbison, Robert Plant, Allison Krauss, Benny Goodman, Steve & Eydie, and Bruce Springsteen. Judy played five instruments in her youth, soloing on the clarinet at Symphony Hall at age 16. She longed to study music, but her parents insisted she learn to support herself and sent her to (then) Fisher Secretarial School in Boston.

Judy was extremely well read, although after she reached age 80 she discarded any book that had not hooked her by page 30. She adored a spirited dinner party discussion; literary chums in Rhode Island remember her exasperated outburst, “Are there no editors anymore?” in reference to Donna Tartt’s “The Goldfinch.”

A woman ahead of her time, she took up running in her forties, tennis and weightlifting in her fifties, and yoga in her sixties. After she retired from the Benson, Young & Downs Insurance Agency, she spent her days creating showplace gardens at her son Richard’s home on LeCount Hollow Road in South Wellfleet and sold bouquets from a roadside cart. She was never happier than on LeCount Hollow Beach and later Second Beach in Middletown, R.I., and her face was always turned toward the sun.

She was able to stay in South Wellfleet for so long due to the kindness of many, especially nurse Kitty Selleck, an angel on earth, Philippe Rispoli, who made sure she was well fed and supplied with a chilled white, and a parade of loving nieces and stepchildren, who brightened her days. Even when her sight and hearing were fading, she loved to hold court. Although she denied it, she thrived on the company of others.

Judy is survived by her children: Patricia A. Blakeley (Rich Oppel) of Portsmouth, R.I., Kenneth B. Blakeley, Jr. (Jill Lang), of Hope, Me., and Richard H. Blakeley of So. Wellfleet, Mass. The original Lady GaGa will dearly be missed by grandchildren Caroline H. Oppel, of Washington D.C., Bailey F. Oppel of New York, N.Y., John F. Oppel of Portsmouth, R.I., Emma G. Blakeley of Midvale, Utah, and Abigail J. Blakeley of Camden, Maine, and her beloved stepchildren and nieces, all of whom meant the world to her.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth Brown Blakeley, Sr., and her brother, George H. Power, Jr.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, at noon in the First Congregational Church, UCC, 200 Main St., Wellfleet, Ma. Donations in her memory may be made to John Clarke Senior Living, 600 Valley Road, Middletown, R.I. 02842.

What a great person left us, but not in memory. Mrs. B was such a kind considerate woman who raised a great family!

Dear Pat, Rich and family members, What an amazing Mom you had! I wish I had met her. Doesn't surprise us that she had an outstanding family. We are so sorry for your lost . "Those we love do not go away, they walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near, so love, so missed, so very dear." May God's love comfort you all and give you peace. In heartfelt sympathy, Sheila and Charley Collins