A memorial service was held Tuesday for former Cochise County Supervisor Judy Gignac, who passed away on Dec. 14 at the age of 84. Ms. Gignac served as superintendent from 1977 to 1988 and was the first woman elected to the board.
“When she started her career here in Cochise County, it was a world of men and men,” said Beth Hooper, Gignac's daughter. “And she had to go through that in her own way… So it became very important to her to support women and make their dreams and goals come true and have their voices heard. It is.”
Former Congressman Ron Barber said Tuesday that he first met Gignac in 2006 and called her “a true force of nature.” Barber was considering running for Congress after former Rep. Gabby Giffords resigned to focus on recovering from the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting at a Safeway in Tucson. He said he became a close advisor to Gignac as he ran for public office.
“Gabby encouraged me. Well, encouraged is probably the mildest word, but she encouraged me to run in the special election and fill her seat,” Barber said. said. “I never imagined I would run for anything…Judy was the first person I called when I was considering the race. I was honored to have her support. was a close and important advisor that I knew I could count on.'' Ask her for candid advice and guidance. ”
Cochise County District 2 Supervisor Ann English served on Gignac's board for four years in the mid-1980s.
“Her community was always counting on her,” English said. “And she was reflective of her entire community, which included quite a few people…Of course, we all know that she was a Republican at the time and I was a Democrat. But at that time, It seemed like we were able to talk and find a way to compromise and move the county forward.”
Sierra Vista Mayoral Pro Carolyn Umphrey said Gignac was the first to contribute to her campaign when she first ran for City Council in 2018.
“We usually met at her house,” said Umphrey, who was re-elected to a second term in the 2022 general election and was appointed mayor pro-tem last year. “We had tea, sometimes shots… It was just a daily occurrence, but there were little nuggets of wisdom tucked into her stories.”
Former Cochise County Supervisor Judy Gignac and her dog Buddy on July 19, 2023.
Submitted by Carolyn Umphrey
After completing his term as director, Gignac was appointed to the Arizona Board of Regents for an eight-year term, serving until 2002.
Umphrey talked about how the phrase was coined to describe Gignac and her exacting attention to detail.
“They created a word just for her,” Umphrey said. “She read every packet so thoroughly that they would say, 'You've been made a Gignac'… She read everything word for word, so she caught everything. I mean, it literally has a name, and the staff gave it that name” Board of Regents. ”
When asked to describe Gignac, colleagues and family members use words like “trailblazer,” “inspirational,” “excellent,” “non-judgmental” and “loving.”
Outside of education and politics, Ms. Gignac's son, Chris Gignac, said she was the general manager of Bella Vista Water and Bella Vista Ranch. The University of Arizona's Commission on the Status of Women awarded Gignac its prestigious Vision Award in 2002, a report said. press release.
