WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. —  Judith Ann (Hitchcock) Alden, long-time Williamstown resident, died Wednesday November 12, 2025, in Leominster, MA.

She was born in Lynn, Massachusetts on September 17, 1936, daughter to the late Ella (Harvey) Hitchcock and Leon Hitchcock. Judith attended school in Springfield, Massachusetts and graduated from Springfield Classical High School. She attended Framingham State College and earned her bachelor’s degree. She was a Home Economics teacher at Mt. Greylock Regional High School and an Activities Director at Sweetbrook Nursing Home. She was previously an active member of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Williamstown.

Throughout her life she was dedicated to the belief in the value of family support, advocacy, and commitment to ensuring the quality of services delivered to people with mental illness. She delivered countless hours volunteering her time to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, NAMI Massachusetts, and to the families of NAMI Berkshire County. She and her husband received the Lilo McMillan Award for their longstanding advocate work from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Mental Health.

She was an accomplished artisan with a special love for quilting and weaving. She also had a passion for genealogy and researched her family history back to countless generations.

She leaves a legacy of kindness, great personal strength, and resilience. She believed in the best of people and would not hesitate to advocate for people who could not advocate for themselves.

Judith was predeceased by her husband Winthrop Stevens Alden, daughter Hilary Alden, and brother Myron Hitchcock. She is survived by her son Steve and his wife Gail of Templeton, Massachusetts, sister Martha Fleming and her husband James, grandchildren Ryan and Jayme, and four great grandchildren Isabella, Cole, Callum, and Rayna.

The family is grateful for the kindness and comfort of Ann Marie Hewitt, the team at Sunrise of Leominster and the medical team at UMASS Memorial in Leominster.

FUNERAL NOTICE: A gathering to celebrate the life of Judith Alden will take place on Wednesday November 19th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Flynn & Dagnoli Funeral Home- West Chapels, 521 West Main Street, North Adams, MA 01247. To add to the book of memories, please visit flynndagnolifuneralhomes.com.