A family is remembering an 85-year-old Lakemoor woman for her “creativity, kindness and a deep love” ahead of her funeral after she died following a crash on Route 120 in Lakemoor.
Battalion Chief Jason Daun of the Wauconda Fire Protection District said firefighters were called to the intersection of Route 120 and Sullivan Lake Road in Lakemoor for a two-vehicle crash around 9:20 a.m. on May 24.
Daun said fire crews arrived to find two vehicles involved following a T-bone crash.
Daun said it took 23 minutes to extricate a Lakemoor woman from the vehicle.
She was transported by ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
Lake County Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton said the woman died at Condell after being transported to the hospital.
Newton said the Lakemoor woman was the person extracted from the vehicle.
Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek identified the victim last week as Judith Wadas, 85, of Lakemoor.
A preliminary coroner’s investigation showed Wadas died as a result of complications from blunt force injuries.
Two other people involved in the crash were treated and released from the scene, Daun said.
Eastbound Route 120 was closed and westbound Route 120 was reduced to one lane while firefighters tended to the scene, authorities said.
An obituary for Wadas said she lived a life marked by “creativity, kindness, and a deep love for her family and community.”
Wadas had a “lifelong passion” for crafts that brought joy “not only to herself but to countless others” and she led the ceramics program at Fish Lake.
“There, she became a beloved figure among both recurring visitors and permanent summer residents who looked forward to Saturday craft time with Judy. Her warmth and enthusiasm made each session special—especially for the children she welcomed with open arms and treated as if they were her own,” her obituary said.
“Known for her generous spirit and caring nature, Judy touched many lives with her willingness to help others. Her kindness left an enduring impression on all who knew her,” the obituary said.
Funeral services are set for Friday morning at Transfiguration Catholic Church in Wauconda.