CapeCodToday Obituaries

Former librarian director and well-known singer/songwriter Judy Wallace remembered

Judy Wallace, 54, singer, songwriter, library director

Judy Wallace, 54, a well-known singer, songwriter, performer and recording artist who also enjoyed a rewarding career as a library director in Mattapoisett and on Cape Cod, died peacefully at home early Saturday morning after a remarkable, valiant 9-year battle with brain cancer.  She was the wife of David Gries. 

Judith Ester Wallace was born June 20, 1954 in Southington, Conn. and grew up in West-Central Connecticut, attending local schools and Greer Academy in upstate New York.  She began singing at a young age and performed locally with her sisters as “The Wallace Warblers.”

At age 16, she hitchhiked to the West Coast, and spent time in California and northwestern Montana before returning to the East and moving to Wellfleet, Mass., on Outer Cape Cod.  She began collaborating with many local musicians including her future husband, Hamilton Kahn.  Their fist son, Ian, was born in 1976.  Matthew, their second son, was born in 1982.  They divorced in 1991. 

Judy enjoyed a long career as an accomplished professional musician.  In addition to her vocal talent, she was a skilled guitarist and harmonica player and gifted song writer.  By the mid-1980s she had established The Judy Wallace Group, a changing cast of some of the area’s best musicians including Lisa Brown, Tom Fenton, Gary Locke, Bruce Abbott, Dick Wetmore, Mike Taylor, Tom Filogomo, Paul Nossiter and Rick Arnoldi, among others.  The group was noteworthy and built a following by appealing to audiences of all ages, playing a combination of swing, blues, and more contemporary styles.  Judy later collaborated with her husband David Gries and many other accomplished South Coast musicians, with live performances continuing throughout her battle with brain cancer.  

Judy was also a great lover of books, and in the 1980s resumed her formal education, earning degrees from Cape Cod Community College, UMASS Dartmouth, and Simmons College, before becoming Library Director at Brooks Free Library in Harwich.  She moved to Mattapoisett and served as Library Director there, continuing to work through her illness and treatments until several months ago.  Judy showed tremendous vision and drive in transforming both Harwich and Mattapoisett libraries into greatly expanded facilities with large collections and state-of-the-art technology resources.  

Survivors include her husband; 2 sons, Ian Kahn and his wife Staci of South Boston and Matthew Kahn of Boston; her brother and 5 sisters, Sharon Scharrer of Roanoke, VA, Rose Wallace of Eastham, MA, Gayle Wallace of Jacksonville, FL, William Wallace of Orleans, MA, Suzanne Wallace-Correiro of Hyannis and Tina Masciangioli of Arlington, VA; several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at a time and place to be announced.  Private funeral arrangements are with the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home For Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6) Mattapoisett. Donations may be made to the Mattapoisett Library Trust P.O. Box 475, Mattapoisett, MA 02739 or to Community Nurse and Hospice Care, P.O. Box 751, Fairhaven, MA 02719.

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