Judith Ann "Judy" Stuart

Judith Ann “Judy” Stuart (née MacGugan), 85, of Las Cruces, passed away on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

Judy was born on August 29, 1941, to Anna May and Thomas MacGugan III in Los Angeles, California, before moving with her family to Hatch, New Mexico. She graduated from Hatch Valley High School and later moved to Las Cruces, where she spent the majority of her life, living near her brother and best friend Thomas MacGugan IV.

During her long career, Judy worked for 32 years at Dr. Donald Niewold’s orthodontic office and later joined the Accounts Payable department at New Mexico State University, where she worked for another 15 years before retiring.

Judy was adored by her daughters and grandchildren, who affectionately called her Nana. She traveled the world to visit her family and proudly marked all the cities she had visited on a map in her living room, from Las Vegas to Paris to Tokyo. Judy regularly welcomed her family to Las Cruces, where they watched Jeopardy! together each night, explored New Mexico’s national parks and monuments, ate plenty of red enchiladas, and always devoured her delicious pecan pie.

Judy had many passions, but perhaps none greater than her love of dancing. Whether square dancing, country western, or the jitterbug, you could never pull her off the dance floor! She was also an avid crafter, melting bottles in the kiln in her garage, crocheting everything from bags to dog sweaters, and making homemade soaps and jewelry. She sold her creations at the Las Cruces Farmers & Crafts Market and enjoyed gifting them to her loved ones.

Judy had a special love for dogs, especially the eight that she rescued over her lifetime. She even drove a car with a license plate proudly declaring that she loved dogs more than people!

Judy will be remembered as a loving, sincere, and independent woman. She was clever, quick-witted, and had a great sense of humor. Above all, she cherished her family.

Judy was preceded in death by her grandparents, Elbe and Ezra McCullough; her parents; and her brother, Thomas. Judy is survived by her daughters, D’Anna Keinan (Elly) and Donna Harvey (Skip), and her grandchildren Julia Ann (Rick), Eliana (Ben), and Daniel Keinan.

A service will be held at 10:00 am on Monday, December 7, 2026, at Getz Funeral Home and a graveside ceremony will be held Following service at Garden of Memories Cemetery in Hatch, NM. Family and friends are invited to both events to remember Judy and celebrate her life.

In honor of Judy, her family encourages everyone to “keep dancing!”