Dr. Judith Gilligan Pace Templeton passed away peacefully in her sleep on the morning of Oct. 13 at her home in The Villages, Florida after a brief illness. Her husband, Doc Templeton, and daughter, Lisa Pace Navarro, were at her side.
Judy was born in Scranton on Dec. 24, 1949 to Dolores Keating Gilligan Wehrum and the late John Gilligan. She grew up with two younger siblings, the late Susan Gilligan Navorouski and Martin Gilligan. Her stepfather was the late John Wehrum. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Marywood College, her master’s degree at Hood College (first female graduate) and the University of Maryland and her Ph.D. in biochemistry at the George Washington University.
Most of her professional career was spent at Fort Detrick, Maryland as a research chemist and department head, developing countermeasures for biological warfare agents. She was extremely well-published in scientific journals and highly respected for her work in isolated liver perfusion studies. While at Fort Detrick, she was the highest-ranking female in the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. Later in her career, she became an expert in product development and regulatory affairs. Besides negotiating the Department of Defense’s biological defense products through the maze of procedures of the Food and Drug Administration, she taught two master’s-level courses: one in product development and the other in good clinical practices.
Following her retirement from the Department of the Army civil service, owing to her unparalleled expertise, she continued employment as a consultant.
Judy’s favorite activities included golf, watercolor art, jewelry-making and games of all sorts. Deep Creek Lake, Maryland was one of her favorite places, spending the summers at their lakefront cottage. As members of the Deep Creek Lake Sailing Association, she enjoyed participating in the regattas and spending time with members of the club. Most recently, Judy brought her wealth of knowledge in the field of biochemistry to serve as a member of the Medical Advisory Committee for the yacht club, ably supporting the Board of Governors in managing the club’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Judy is survived by her husband, Colonel (Dr.) Charles Templeton; her daughter, Lisa Pace Navarro and husband, Sergio; grandsons, Voss and Enso Navarro; mother, Dolores Keating Gilligan Wehrum; her brother and his wife, Martin and Mary Barbara O’Neill Gilligan; stepchildren, Cay and Jeb Templeton; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
A Mass of Remembrance for Judy will be held at 10 a.m., on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021, at St. Mary of Mount Carmel Church in Dunmore. Her cremains will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
