At 97 years old, Judy Tucker’s secret to a long and happy life is remarkably simple: She plans to “die in her boots.”
“Grandma Tucker,” as she is affectionately referred to, has lived in Springville for 65 years. And if you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting her, you will no doubt observe that she is determined to bless, serve, and lift those around her for as long as she lives.
From Sweetheart to Springville
Tucker’s journey to Springville started at the KOVO radio station in Provo. As the story goes, when she was working at JC Penny’s as a young woman, she went with her friends to the KOVO radio station across the street for their lunch hour. Her future husband, Art Tucker, was the announcer on duty at the time.
The moment she saw him and his “wonderful blue eyes,” she thought that she had found her ideal man, though she assumed that he was probably married and had kids.
Later, when she was working at JC Penny’s, she offered to help a man standing by one of the display signs. She realized that it was the same man she had seen at the radio station. He invited her to the station after work for their first date. She remembers being incredibly impressed as he showed her how to take radio breaks, work the sound board, and cue up the records.
After they were married, Art Tucker worked in a couple of different radio stations as they moved to the towns of Provo, Salt Lake City, and Richfield.
While they were living in Utah, Art’s allergies started to become more severe. Eczema almost covered his entire body. The couple moved to Arizona, hoping that it would get better. Unfortunately, it didn’t and he ended up in the hospital. Judy Tucker was pregnant at the time, and a doctor told her that she couldn’t stay in a hospital that treated tuberculosis patients and that she needed to go back to Utah to stay with her family. When her husband was well enough, he followed her back to Utah.
Together, they built their new home in Springville. In 1996, Art Tucker, who was often remembered for his positive and uplifting radio commentary, passed away from a stroke. He was also remembered for his slogan, “Just one good idea can change your life for the better.”
Serving the Community
There were many ways that the Tucker family helped uplift the community. As they were building their home in Springville, Grandma Tucker recalled a time when each family in the area was asked to help raise funds for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple. She also remembered a time when she received a silver dollar for getting ingredients to make baked goods that they could sell.
Grandma Tucker baked cookies and sweet rolls and often sold them to the temple construction workers and then donated that money to help fund the construction. After helping raise funds for the temple, she spent 23 years serving there. She felt like she got to help pay for the temple that she worked in for all those years, allowing it to hold a special place in her heart.
For a couple of years, she offered her home as a polling station and a place where people could come to register to vote. She and her husband also volunteered to count the votes afterward.
She talked about the days of the Springville Herald weekly newspaper that she loved. She said you could find out everything that was going on in Springville from that paper: Who was getting married, how the high school kids were doing, and other local news.
She even taught food storage classes for the community and wrote articles that were published in the weekly newspaper about food storage.
The good she’s done for the community in the past 65 years is hard to fully grasp. Even today, she still gives popsicles or cookies to the neighbor kids in the summer and winter if they come by. The police have even come by her house for a mini parade to wish her a happy birthday. She has often expressed her gratitude for the Springville officers who look out for the elderly folk.
The Wealth of a ‘Has-Been’
Grandma Tucker hasn’t sought after things that will make her famous or rich. Instead, she has built her life on small, simple acts of kindness steadily throughout the years for her family, friends, and neighbors. If you know Grandma Tucker, you know she’s always making plans to serve somebody to show them how much she cares about them. From new moms to kids in the neighborhood, family members, or friends that are her same age, she serves and loves each and everyone.
“There is nothing in the world that gives me so much satisfaction and pleasure than doing something for someone else,” Grandma Tucker said. “I feel like I’m getting all the blessings. … It makes me happy to be able to help someone.”
Grandma Tucker said that her life turned out differently than she planned. She said that was going to get a higher education and do more with her musical talent. While she didn’t make her millions becoming a famous concert pianist, she used her musical talents to serve in her church her entire life, and she got married and had a wonderful family which is “worth more than all the millions in the world.”
“I’m better off than a millionaire and I’m far richer too,” said Grandma Tucker with a laugh and a smile on her face.
To paint a picture of her beautiful perspective on life she often recites a favorite poem from memory:
“I’d rather be a ‘maybe’ if I couldn’t be an ‘are,’
Because a ‘maybe’ is a ‘might-be’ with a chance of touching par.
I’d rather be a ‘has-been’ than a ‘might-have-been’ by far,
Because a ‘might-have-been’ never was, but a ‘has-been’ was and are.”
“I’m a has-been and I’m proud of it,” she said with a smile of the ages.
Her secret to a long and happy life isn’t some fancy gadget or fountain of youth; it’s the determination to lift those around her through small and simple acts of love. At 97 years old, she remains one of Springville’s richest residents.
