Judy Love, a co-founder of Love’s Travel Stops, passed away in Oklahoma City Tuesday. She was 87..
Alongside her late husband, Tom Love, Judy was instrumental in building their family-owned business, Love’s Travel Stops, which they founded in 1964 with a $5,000 loan.
Judy’s financial acumen and dedication to the company’s growth saw her serve as secretary and treasurer as it expanded into 42 states. Her warm spirit, generosity, and commitment to community service earned her widespread admiration, according to a statement from the company.
Judy’s legacy of philanthropy will endure through her children, Greg, Laura, Jenny, and Frank, as well as her nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
“Our mother, Judy Love, was the heart and soul of our family,” said a statement from the Love Family. “She cared deeply for us and those who worked alongside her and Dad. Her tenacity, strength, and focus will guide us forever. She taught us the importance of hard work, honesty, and the joy of giving back. While we will miss her dearly, her spirit will live on through the countless lives she touched.”
Born in 1937 in Chicago, Mrs. Love was the daughter of Ed and Ruth McCarthy. Her family relocated to Oklahoma City in 1942, where her father worked as a district manager in outdoor advertising.
She graduated from Bishop McGuiness High School and Central Catholic High School. While attending Oklahoma State University in 1956, she met Tom Love and they married Dec. 26, 1960.
Together, they leased an abandoned service station in Watonga in 1964, which grew to 40 stores in eight years. From these beginnings, the Love’s Family of Companies was started.
Skilled in finance, Mrs Love managed the company’s accounts and worked from their home. After stepping back from part-time work at Love’s in 1975, she pursued her deep interest for interior design. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Central Oklahoma in 1981, followed by a master’s and later established her design firm.
Her passion for philanthropy led to the establishment of the Love Family Affiliated Fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation in 1999 and the Tom and Judy Love Foundation in 2013. In 2020, she was honored as Oklahoma Mother of the Year by American Mothers and received the Outstanding Philanthropist Award from the Oklahoma City chapter of the National Fundraising Professionals in 1999.
Close friend and former broadcaster, author, and public official Jane Jayroe-Gamble said she would remember Judy for her extravagant love and deep loyalty to many friends, and especially her family.
“Judy Love was an extraordinary woman with a huge heart for others and an inexhaustible joy of life,” said Jayroe-Gamble. “Her passion for family, friends, community, and the Catholic Church inspired many. Judy and Tom were a partnership made in Heaven, and their successful business reflects their hard work, dedication, and generosity. As we mourn her loss, let’s celebrate her remarkable life, positive spirit, gifts of encouragement, and significant impact on our world.”
Former Oklahoma First Lady Cathy Keating co-chaired the fundraising campaign with Judy to build the recently opened Love Family Women’s Center at Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City. The campaign included a lead gift of $10 million from the family. Keating recalled how her Catholic faith and community impact intersected.
“Judy was devoted to her Catholic faith and the charitable organizations affiliated with it,” said former Oklahoma First Lady Cathy Keating. “She lived her life with courage, determination, and humility. She and her husband, Tom, were a united front in raising their remarkable family and growing their successful business. Judy’s compassion for others knew no limits, and the impact of her kindness and generosity is immeasurable. I will miss her terribly.”
Mrs. Love served on many non-profit boards in Oklahoma City and also co-chaired the capital campaign for Positive Tomorrows, Oklahoma’s only school for children experiencing homelessness.She was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2010.
Among her many honors, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award and a Distinguished Woman Award from Oklahoma City University. The Girl Scouts named her a Woman of Distinction, and the Notre Dame Club named her the Woman of the Year for Oklahoma.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Judy’s memory may be made to United Way of Central Oklahoma.
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