Judy Lehnen

06/25/1953 -03/22/2023

Judy Lundquist Lehnen of Saint Paul died suddenly and peacefully on March 22, 2023 surrounded by family. She was 69 years old. 

Judy was born Judy Kay Lundquist in 1953 to Charles and Della Lundquist in Hibbing, Minnesota. She went to the Alice School, graduated with the Hibbing High School class of 1971, and earned her bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota. Judy enjoyed her professional years as a travel agent at Executive Travel and Kaju Travel Center. In her later roles she gave back to her community working for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, then Allina Health Foundation Office of Philanthropy, retiring in 2019. 

To Judy, family was of the utmost importance; her family truly meant the world to her. 

She met Doug in 1977 in Dinkytown, and they were married in 1980 at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Minneapolis. The love between Doug and Judy was constant. Their love was further deepened by their shared Catholic faith. The feelings from their first date endured all 47 years of knowing each other. They truly accepted one another for who they were, working through tough times with empathy in a steadfast partnership. Doug and Judy never pictured their lives apart.

Judy's pride in her two sons, John and Charlie, was undeniable - they never questioned the boundless and unconditional love she had for them. One of her greatest joys was being a mother and sharing in her sons’ lives through every stage. Judy encouraged her sons to be their authentic selves and celebrated their uniqueness. She frequently emphasized that the most valuable lesson she could teach them was the importance of kindness.

Her relationships with her siblings and parents only grew stronger throughout their lives. Through daily phone calls and written letters, they remained intimately intertwined. Growing up in Hibbing, Judy’s family was tight-knit, thanks in part to her Italian heritage. As the years went on and her family grew, Judy cared deeply for her nieces and nephews on both sides, embracing them as if they were her own. She was like a second mother to many of them.

As an animal lover, Judy exuded compassion and care for all living things. To Judy, her pets were true family members; and just like her human family, Barney, Callie, Paco, Lucy, and Bella always felt Judy’s unconditional love.

Judy’s interests and passions were wide-ranging and enriched the lives of those around her. She loved to spend time traveling domestically and abroad, particularly to Europe. Over the years she visited Italy with her husband, mother, and sons on different occasions. 

Through music, Judy connected with her family and community. Music brought cherished memories to the forefront of her mind as she sang. For nearly 30 years she lent her beautiful voice to the Nativity of Our Lord Choir; a cornerstone of her St. Paul community. Attending a traveling Broadway show at the Orpheum together was Doug and Judy’s ideal date night. She volunteered her time to St. Agnes high school musicals and served as an assistant music director for the Nativity of Our Lord School eighth grade musicals for several years. 

As an avid reader of mystery novels and other genres, she enjoyed thousands of titles and certainly made the most of her library card. She was also the librarian of her own ‘Little Library’ in front of her Saint Paul home. 

Judy was passionate about food and expressed her love through cooking, as she baked her heart out for those she loved and as a Baking Lab Assistant at the Mill City Museum. She had an unbelievable ability to recall the specific details of meals she had enjoyed throughout her lifetime. Life events were marked by delicious dishes and celebrations around her dinner table, a place where she made everyone feel welcome. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles William and Della Margaret (née Genise) Lundquist, her sister Betty Tousignant, brothers-in-law Joseph “Joe” Gambucci and Donald “Don” Tousignant, and parents in-law Clement “Clem” and Geneva “Gen” (née Regenold) Lehnen.

Judy is survived by her beloved husband Douglas “Doug” Clement Lehnen, and her two sons John Douglas Lehnen (with Concetta May) and Charles “Charlie” Clement Lehnen (with Jilla Nadimi), sister Jane (Gene Henning) Gambucci, and brother Charles “Chuck” (Beverly) Lundquist.

Her memory is also kept by her many nieces and nephews, cousins, extended family, college roommates, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and every pet she ever knew.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, March 28, at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church, 1938 Stanford Ave, St. Paul, at 9:30 AM and Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM. The Rite of Committal will follow at Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights. After the interment ceremony, Judy’s family will receive guests at Mancini’s Char House for an Italian luncheon until 3:30 PM.

Memorial contributions may be made in Judy’s memory:

Support the research of Judy’s rare condition and other closely related diseases: T-Cell Leukemia Lymphoma Foundation (TCLL) (tcllfoundation.org)

The Nativity community was central to Judy’s life in St. Paul. She and Doug are proud that they were able to give their sons the gift of a strong foundation through their Catholic school education: (nativitystpaul.org/online-giving-school-scholarship)

Flowers can be sent to Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church to celebrate Judy Lehnen’s life.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Judy Lehnen, please visit our floral store.