Judy Kay Mays-Lusk

Judy Kay Mays Lusk March 19, 1951 - August 9, 2026 Judy Kay Mays Lusk, 75, passed away on August 9, 2026, leaving behind a family who adored her, countless people whose lives were made better simply by knowing her, and a lifetime of laughter, love, generosity, and unforgettable memories. 

Judy was born on March 19, 1951, in Knoxville, Tennessee, to Charles "Ray" Mays and Ruby Mays. She was a woman of deep Baptist faith who loved the Lord, gospel music, and her family with her whole heart. 

There are some people whose presence simply makes the world feel warmer. Judy was one of those people. 

She was hilarious, loving, kind, immeasurably thoughtful, and extraordinarily generous. She never met a stranger. Whether she had known someone for decades or had just met them, Judy had a gift for making people feel as though they had known her their entire lives. She made people feel important. She listened when someone needed to be heard, gave freely of herself, and somehow always had time for the people who needed her. 

Her presence filled a room - not because she demanded attention, but because she brought so much life with her. There was laughter when Judy was around. There was warmth. There was a feeling that you belonged. She had the rare ability to leave people feeling that they mattered and that something had been added to their life simply because their paths had crossed. 

More than anything, Judy loved her family. 

She shared her life with her beloved husband, John "Bill" Lusk. One of the simplest and most beautiful expressions of their life together happened every evening: Judy made sure Bill got a kiss before he went to bed. It was a small ritual, but one that said so much about the love and tenderness woven through their years together. 

She was the loving mother of Tonya Lusk-Wilson and her husband, Curt, and Andrea Lusk-Butler and her husband, Greg. She treasured being a mother, but becoming a grandmother brought another special kind of joy into her life. 

Judy was "Mamaw" to Creston Lundy; Chaz Lundy and his wife, Anna; Courtney Wilson; Ava Butler; John Michael Butler; and Lincoln Butler, and great-grandmother to Bentley Lundy and Ryker Lundy. 

Her grandchildren knew exactly who was calling when they heard her unmistakable greeting: "This is the Mamaw." It was pure Judy - a little funny, completely endearing, and a phrase her family will hear in their hearts for years to come. 

Judy found happiness in both life's adventures and its simplest moments. She loved traveling and discovering new places, but she was equally content sitting on a beach or holding a warm cup of coffee while watching rain fall outside. And when it snowed, Judy's joy was contagious. She could be as delighted as a little kid, marveling at it with the same excitement every single time. 

She loved Mexican food - especially when accompanied by a big margarita - the Tennessee Vols, cooking alongside her children, gospel music, Christmas, traveling, laughing, and making memories with the people she loved most. 

Christmas held a particularly special place in Judy's heart. Like so many things she loved, it was never simply about the occasion itself. It was about family being together, traditions being carried on, food being shared, laughter filling the room, and creating memories that would last long after the day was over. 

Judy is survived by her husband, John "Bill" Lusk; daughters, Tonya Lusk-Wilson (Curt) and Andrea Lusk-Butler (Greg); grandchildren, Creston Lundy, Chaz Lundy (Anna), Courtney Wilson, Ava Butler, John Michael Butler, and Lincoln Butler; great-grandchildren, Bentley Lundy and Ryker Lundy; and siblings, Brenda Mays-Wolfe (David),William "Bill" Mays, and Sue Mays-Chapman (Jack). 

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles "Ray" Mays and Ruby Mays; and her siblings, Floyd "Doug" Abbott, Eddie Abbott, Ann Mays-Abbott, Neal Mays, Kenny Mays, Charles "Little Ray" Mays Jr., Wayne Mays, Jerry Mays, Carolyn Mays-Worley, Linda Mays, and Alice Mays. 

Judy's family will miss so many things: her laughter, her stories, her thoughtfulness, her generosity, her voice, her excitement over the first snow, the way she loved a good meal and a big margarita, and the countless ways she made ordinary moments feel special. 

But perhaps what they will miss most is simply the way it felt to be loved by her. 

Judy spent 75 years making people feel seen, heard, welcomed, important, and loved. That kind of life does not end when someone leaves us. It lives on in her children and grandchildren, in family traditions, in stories that will be told again and again, in laughter that sounds a little like hers, in Christmases yet to come, in snowy days that make her family think of her, and in every act of kindness inspired by the way Judy treated others. 

Her family takes comfort in the faith that was so important to Judy and in knowing that the Lord she loved throughout her life has welcomed her home. 

The world feels a little less warm without Judy in it. But because of the way she loved, countless lives will forever carry some of her warmth with them. 

And to the grandchildren who loved hearing that familiar voice on the other end of the phone, it will always be: 

"This is the Mamaw."

Family will recieve of friends from 5-7pm with a 7:00 service on Thursday, August 13, 2026 at Mynatt Funeral Home, Fountain City Chapel. Family will meet at 1:15pm at the funeral home on Friday, August 14, 2026 to go into procession to New Gray Cemetery for a graveside service starting at 2:00pm.

Online condolences can be made at www.mynattfh.com