Obituary of Judith Kay Droll

God called his faithful servant, Judi Kay Droll, home on July 8, 2021. Funeral services and a Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 15, 2021, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Hills, Iowa. Burial will be at St. Stanislaus Cemetery, with a luncheon to follow. Visitation will be Wednesday, July 14 from 4-7 p.m. at Gay & Ciha Funeral Home, Iowa City, with a prayer service at 6 p.m. Judi’s legacy lives on and her story continues through her beloved husband Bob, sons RJ and Michael, her daughter Leia and her partner Richard, and a host of children whose lives she worked to help shape during the decades she ran an in-home daycare service. She is survived by a brother, Clarence, as well as several nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews. She also leaves behind two grand-puppies, Ike and Beauregard. Judi Banken was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on January 25, 1946, before moving to Iowa City, Iowa. After graduating from City High in 1964, she worked various jobs around the town of Iowa City. In 1969, she met her future husband Bob Droll at his family’s tavern in Hills, Iowa. They married soon thereafter and relocated to the Quad Cities. Prior to having children, Judi worked in the Development Office at Augustana College, a career path shared today by her daughter Leia. After RJ’s birth, she dedicated her life to her family, her friends, and her faith. She volunteered countless hours at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Davenport, Iowa, serving the church through RCIA, CEW, and numerous ministries. Judi also strove to make St. Paul’s a more open and welcoming parish for communities who may have felt disenfranchised by the Catholic Church. In 2016, she packed up her family home on Tremont Avenue so that she and Bob could follow their children to North Carolina where they had both moved for work. Once resettled, she continued to prove to the Tar-Heel state that Judi Droll “never met a stranger” by forming close bonds in her adopted new home. Whether in Iowa or North Carolina, Judi’s utmost priority was always her love and care for Bob. In retirement, they enjoyed taking road trips, visiting casinos, and spending time with family and friends. She is preceded in passing by her parents, including her devoted mother, Madeline, and three brothers, including her big brother, Chuck who is waiting with her faithful companion, Muschi the Cat, to take Judi’s hand and help her receive her Heavenly Reward. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Judi’s honor to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.