Judy Markey, the beloved radio personality best known for The Kathy and Judy Show, has died at the age of 82. In the final days of her life, the legendary broadcaster made a deeply personal decision about how she wanted to spend her remaining time — and she remained determined to live according to her own wishes until the very end.
Markey had spent years battling a progressive neurological illness that had increasingly taken away her physical abilities. Rather than waiting until she could no longer live independently, she chose to end her life through assisted dying at a clinic in Switzerland, where the practice is legal.
Even during those final moments, however, Judy’s famous sense of humor never disappeared.
According to the details surrounding her final day, Markey was holding a Snickers bar and eating it shortly before receiving the medication that would end her life. She also mentioned that she had a slight headache.
Her husband, Tom, offered her Advil. Judy looked at him and responded with one last piece of dark humor: “I think we’re going to need something a little stronger.”
The remark left everyone in the room in tears, but it also brought smiles. It was an unmistakably Judy moment — even in an incredibly emotional situation, she managed to make the people around her laugh.
Markey became a household name through The Kathy and Judy Show, the hugely popular program she hosted with Kathy O’Malley beginning in 1989. The pair became especially beloved for their daytime broadcasts and Saturday morning show, building a devoted audience over the years.
After Judy’s death, O’Malley, who was not only her former co-host but also one of her closest friends, shared an emotional farewell. She recalled how the two women once joked that nursing homes would eventually be filled with women named Judy and Kathy.
That old joke took on a painful meaning as Judy grew older. O’Malley explained that Markey never wanted to spend the final chapter of her life in a nursing home. Instead, she wanted to remain in control of her own decisions.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/Judy-Markey-091726-e15012c9c9f44c39a0df31d7badb197e.jpg)
Judy chose the date and the place herself and continued living with determination and happiness until that day arrived. O’Malley recalled that only a week before her death, the two friends had gone to a restaurant Judy had wanted to try. They spent their time together laughing, making the final goodbye even more difficult for those who loved her.
Markey leaves behind her husband, children, stepchildren and beloved grandchildren. Her family has arranged a private memorial service to honor her life and legacy.
Even her final wishes reflected the causes she cared about. Instead of expensive funeral flowers or wreaths, Judy asked that people wishing to remember her make donations to PAWS Chicago or the International Rescue Committee.
For the people closest to her, Judy Markey’s final chapter was filled with sadness, but also with the same humor, independence and determination that had defined her remarkable career.
