Judith Ellen (Burns) Warner, 60, passed away on April 9, 2020, at her residence in Bloomington, Indianapolis, after a courageous battle with cancer. Her pure spirit, loving nature, infinite politeness, and kindness will be missed by all who knew her. Judy always saw the good in everyone, and her thoughtfulness and altruism were an inspiration.

Judy had been affiliated with the APS since 2009 in her role with Indiana University Conference Services. She was a pillar of that organization. She had taken on managing the logistics of the last six American Peptide Symposia and had done it diligently, cheerfully and flawlessly. She organized every detail with her mind always on the happiness of each participant and exhibitor and a balanced budget. She worked tirelessly in order to ensure each event was a success. Everyone, including exhibitors, vendors, and attendees, loved her and will miss seeing her smiling face at the welcome booth.

She was born on July 24, 1959, in Lowell, Massachusetts to Marilyn and Joseph Burns and was the oldest of 4 children. Judy was a graduate of Elizabethtown High School in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Judy worked as a Senior Conference Manager at Indiana University for the past 22 years. Prior to that, she held management positions in hotels in Lexington, Kentucky. She leaves behind many clients, colleagues, and friends who will miss her compassion, selflessness, and kindness.

She is survived by her two sons, Dr. John Warner of Pittsburgh, PA and Adam Warner of Bloomington, who is a third-year medical student. A loving and devoted mother, Judy’s greatest personal accomplishment and source of pride were her beloved sons, Adam and John. While many people speak of their values, Judy lived them daily.

A vegan and humanitarian, Judy was tender-hearted in all areas of her life and had immeasurable compassion and grace for people and animals. Judy was stalwart in her acceptance of others, and while soft-spoken and refined, would unflinchingly defend those who were unfairly treated, abused, or discriminated against. Her tolerance, patience, and sense of justness served as an example for those who were fortunate to know her, as she quietly encouraged the best from others.

Judy was an avid reader and would spend hours browsing titles at the library and at her favorite bookstores. During the summer months, she enjoyed reading by the pool in her complex, voraciously consuming mysteries, memoirs, and self-help books and catching up on the news from all her friends.

A private service will be held for the family. A Celebration of Judy’s Life will be announced later this year. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Red Bucket Equine Rescue in Chino Hills, CA or the Bloomington Animal Shelter. Arrangements are being handled by Allen Funeral Home and Crematory.

• A private service will be held for the family. A Celebration of Judy’s Life by her family will be announced later this year.

• The American peptide society is also planning a special event in memory of Judy Warner at the 2021 American Peptide Symposium in Whistler, Canada.

Below are some of the feelings expressed by Judy’s American Peptide Society colleagues

“I am deeply shocked by this news. Judy was a wonderful person and always gentle, cheer full and dedicated to the organization of the American Peptide Symposium. She cared so much for the peptide society as her baby. I am honored and prevailed in knowing her while working with her at American Peptide Symposium. She became one of our best friends. We will deeply miss her. Judy always cared and worried about her family than herself. I cannot forget how proud and happy she was when her son went to medical school. My heart and prayer go out to Judy’s family”. Ved Srivastava

“Judy was such a wonderful person - always smiling and gentle. We shared a love for cats and animals, and what became my last email to her was my spontaneous thought of her when coming across a picture of an otter mom, proudly showing off her pup. My very warmest condolences to you, her colleagues, and her family. I will miss Judy greatly”. Lars E. Sahl

“I had worked with her since 2013 and she was an amazing person who I could always rely on and who I came to know as a friend. She will be sorely missed.” Marcey Waters

“Judy was one of the happy faces I loved to see at each meeting. She was so enjoyable to work with. I am so sorry for this loss”. Joel Schneider

“My heart is saddened at this news. Please extend my deepest sympathies to her family and your team at IU”. Philip Dawson

“This is truly sad. Judy has been our rock at the APS” Andrei Yudin

“Judy was an invaluable colleague at the APS. I will miss her smile and her positive attitude about everything”. Mark Distefano

“Judy was amazing. She had a way of handling even frightfully complex arrangements with grace and a smile. If there was a hiccup (typically the fault of one of us), she would swoop in and take care of it with aplomb. APS officers and Symposium organizers come and go, but she was our collective memory…an unofficial lifetime member of the APS”. David Lawrence

“I am quite speechless. Anna and I found her to be so wonderful to work with”. Paramjit Arora and Anna Mapp

“Judy did so much to enable the success of the APS and went out of her way to help participants and speakers during the meeting with anything they needed. She will be greatly missed.” Yvonne Angell

“Judy was so optimistic about beating this. I will miss her dearly. I felt like she was my ultimate partner in ensuring the success of APS. I could always turn to her for help and she was always willing to step in at a moment’s notice”. Wendy Hartsock

“How sad, how disappointing! I will miss Judy dearly”. Natia Tsomaia