Judith P. McAllister, a longtime elementary-school teacher in Bath, Maine, whose warmth, curiosity and devotion to children touched generations of students, passed on April 20, 2026, at The Garden in Brunswick, surrounded by her family. She was 88. 

Known to countless former students as Mrs. McAllister, Judy taught in Bath elementary schools for nearly four decades, beginning in 1970 at the Mitchell School and later teaching at Fisher School, Fisher-Mitchell, Huse School and Dike-Newell. She taught first, second, third and fourth grade, and after retiring continued to work as a substitute teacher and reading specialist. 

She loved children not only for who they were, but for how they thought. She delighted in their questions, their discoveries and their particular ways of seeing the world. Her impact in Bath was visible long after her formal teaching years ended. On one afternoon at Bath’s Waterfront Park, where she had gone with her sister-in-law, Mary, people of every age — young children, teenagers, parents and grandparents — stopped to greet Mrs. McAllister. 

Judy was born Judith Gail Patch on Aug. 1, 1937, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to George W. Patch Jr. and Helen E. (Forslund) Patch. Her father’s work took the family across the country, and she grew up in places that included Kenmore and White Plains, New York; San Mateo, California; Vestavia Hills, Alabama; and Westport, Connecticut. 

After graduating from high school in 1955, she attended the University of New Hampshire, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in clothing and textiles in 1959. She married that same year and lived in Germany, where her son Scott Anthony was born in 1960; in Bethesda, Maryland, where Bruce Stockton was born in 1961; and later in Richmond, Virginia, where Douglas William was born in 1965. 

Finding herself a single mother, Judy returned to school and discovered the career that would bring her lasting joy. She earned a Master of Science degree from the College of Education at the University of Bridgeport in 1969. The following year, she moved to Bath, where her parents were planning to retire nearby in Boothbay Harbor. She found what she called “my little house” on Dike Road and settled in, living there for 55 years. 

Resilience was one of the defining threads of Judy’s life. When she was six years old, she was run over by a car while walking home from school. Doctors told her parents that her internal injuries were so severe she was not expected to survive. She did survive, and she continued to meet hardship with determination, raising three sons as a single mother while saving enough to send all three to college. 

Her sons remember a mother who made space for their interests even when it required sacrifice — grading papers in a ski lodge, sitting through cold football games or listening patiently to endless musical scales. The family still recalls a 1977 cross-country road trip that included stops at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Notre Dame, Yosemite, SeaWorld and Disneyland, with dinners of Hamburger Helper cooked in an electric frypan in Motel 6 rooms. 

Family was the center of Judy’s life. She carried on the Christmas Eve smorgasbord tradition passed down from her mother’s Swedish roots and made sure there was room for everyone. That instinct — to welcome, to include, to take a genuine interest — extended well beyond family. She was happiest when people gathered, talked, asked questions and felt at home. 

She was also a lifelong learner. When someone wondered about something, Judy’s answer was often, “I don’t know, let’s look it up.” Then she would turn to one of her many reference books. She especially loved the natural world, using Peterson Field Guides to identify flowers, trees, tracks and birds. She taught those around her the value of pausing outdoors: smelling, inspecting, listening, touching and noticing what might otherwise be missed. 

Her grandchildren knew her as a steady and affectionate presence — in the stands at their games, hosting sleepovers with cinnamon raisin bagels for breakfast, laughing on the dock in Boothbay Harbor or simply sitting quietly together. She remembered birthdays across generations, sending cards even to great-great-nieces. 

In retirement, Judy traveled widely, including trips to Europe and across the United States. For her 80th birthday, she took an Alaska cruise with her sons and their partners. 

She loved her adopted hometown of Bath and its institutions. She was a regular patron of the Patten Free Library and enjoyed visiting the exhibits at the Maine Maritime Museum. One of her most important retirement commitments was volunteering with the Bath Area BackPack Program, which provides food to children in need. As a teacher, she had seen clearly the challenges some children faced, and she remained committed to helping them. She volunteered widely, including with the Maine State Aquarium, and the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. 

Judy was also active at Grace Episcopal Church, where she served as a volunteer treasurer before the pandemic, and was a member of the YMCA, where she enjoyed water aerobics. She delighted in the Maine State Music Theatre, and held season tickets for many years. 

She maintained close friendships throughout her life, staying in touch with college friends, friends from early motherhood, the “Church Ladies”  and fellow Bath teachers. 

Judy is survived by her three sons: Scott McAllister and his wife, Betsy Aitken, of Hyannis, Massachusetts; Bruce McAllister and his wife, Peggy Jo (Montgomery), of Brunswick, Maine; and Doug McAllister and his wife, Kim Vose, of Ventura, California, and Bath, Maine. 

She is also survived by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Quinn McAllister and his wife, Karen (Kraft), and their twin daughters, Charlotte and Olivia, of Kennebunk, Maine; Kyle McAllister and his wife, Lindsay (Soule), and their twin daughters, Aria and Madison, of Yarmouth, Maine; Lauren McAllister Radford and her husband, Zach Radford, of Lewiston, Maine, who are expecting a son, Oliver; Brett McAllister of Dania Beach, Florida; Joshua McAllister of Lisbon, Maine; Alyssa (Aitken) Banzholer and her husband, Christopher, and their sons, Max and George, of Marstons Mills, Massachusetts; and Christopher Aitken and his wife, Eleanor Conroy Aitken, of Boston. 

She is also survived by her brother, David Patch, and his wife, Mary (Smongeski) Patch, of Boothbay Harbor, Maine; and nieces and nephews: Kristen (Patch) Rowe of Tulsa, OK; Keryn (Patch) Saffell and her husband Max, and their children, Alexandra, Nickolas, and Gregory of Rockville, MD, David Patch, Jr. and his wife Jessica (Weeks) and their children, Jayden and Kingsley of Brunswick, ME; Kaitlyn (Rowe) Booker and her husband, Steven and their children, Alexia and Clementine of Springfield, MO.  

An open house celebrating Judy’s life will be held on Monday, June 29, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath. Friends, colleagues, former students, classmates and all who knew Judy or her family are welcome. In keeping with Judy’s love of learning, and affection for the museum, guests may also visit the museum’s exhibits at no cost. 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Bath Area BackPack Program.