Judith Henderson Wakim

Judith H. Wakim of Signal Mountain passed away at home surrounded by family on February 18, 2023. She had defied the odds once by being a 45year breast cancer survivor and she did it again by living with congestive heart failure for four years with the initial prognosis of only surviving two months. She was 84. Born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, Judith is predeceased by her parents, John and Madelon (Horner) Henderson, sister, Sondra Giles and beloved husband, Jubran “Gabe” Wakim.

She is survived by her adoring children, Mary (Maria) Wakim Castro, Patti (Derryl) DePriest and Jim (Amy) Wakim, and grandchildren, Dylan DePriest and Jane DePriest, and Mary Elizabeth, Anthony and David Wakim. Her family will forever be inspired by her independent nature, determined spirit and ability to seemingly be able to “do it all.”

A lifelong learner, educator and public health advocate, she earned her way through college by scholarship and working in the school nurse’s office and off campus at the Cincinnati Public Library. She graduated from the College of Mount St. Joseph with a B.S. in Nursing in 1960. She received a M.S.N.Ed and an EdD in Higher Education Administration with minors in Nursing, Business and Sociology from Indiana University. She was an Instructor at DePauw University and rose from Assistant Professor to Full Professor at The University of Tennessee at Martin where she started its first nursing program. She moved to Austin Peay State University and initiated its first B.S. Nursing Program. She became Director of the School of Nursing at Middle Tennessee State University. In 1999, she moved out of administration to teach at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She was honored as Professor Emerita in 2008, but continued to teach until 2011. She served as the Faith Community Nurse for St. Augustine Catholic Church from 2011 until 2018.

Her many academic and professional achievements include: accreditation site visiting for the National League of Nursing for ten years, consulting for the Protection of Children for seven years, supervising six students in the practice of higher education administration for the Peabody College of Vanderbilt University serving as Director of Institutional Effectiveness for a Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Self Study, serving as a site visitor for the Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) for 15 years, staffing a five-year contract with Tokyo