Thelma was born in Hawthorn, Victoria in 1912. She married Don Judd in 1931 at the Church Of Christ, Hampton, when she was 19 years old. This was during the great depression and they struggled to make ends meet until Don found employment with the Australian Mutual Provident society in December 1935. Thelma supported Don through his 38 years of service with AMP. Don and Thel raised 2 daughters, June Olive, who was born in 1932 and Rae Quennel, who was born in 1934. Both their daughters were given middle names which carried on Thelma’s mother’s name; Olive Quennell.
Thelma Mary had a dignified air about her and a lovely sense humour. She kept all her homes spotlessly clean and tidy and was happily dominant in her own kitchen. This characteristic has become something of a family legend. She was a lovely person to have as my ‘nanna’. Thel and Don enjoyed involvement in lawn bowls over many decades and travelled several times overseas after Don’s retirement in 1973. Thelma Mary had been troubled for years by cold weather turning her fingers painfully blue - symptoms of Reynaud’s disease.
Needing some additional support in their twilight years, Don and Thel moved to the ‘Parkglen Retirement Village’ in Cheltenham Rd, Keysborough Melbourne. Thelma Mary died there on 4 July 1988 of a myocardial infarction. Thel’s beloved husband Don survived her by 7 years.