Judith Ann Best
April 7, 1938 ~ April 12, 2022
VIENNA, VA – Judith A. Best, age 84, of Vienna, Virginia, passed away peacefully on April 12, 2022.
She was born on April 7, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois, a daughter of the late Dominic and Dorothy (Ahrbeck) Vairo.
She attended Calumet High School in 1955, and, after her graduation, attended Michigan State University. She settled in Ithaca New York where she spent most of her life before moving in 2019 to Vienna Virginia. She was a Distinguished Teacher of Political Science at State University of New York at Cortland. She received her Ph.D. in political science from Cornell University in 1971 and her Masters Degree in English Literature from the University of Michigan in 1963. She received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1977; the American Higher Education and Carnegie Foundation Honor Salute for Educational Leadership in 1986; and the Gerald DiGiusto Award to the Outstanding Member of the Faculty in 1989. She was promoted to the rank of Distinguished Teaching Professor by the SUNY Chancellor in 1984. Before coming to Cortland, Judy taught English at Ithaca College and later American Government at Cornell.
Judy published over 45 articles on various subjects including: the Electoral College, the rule of law, fundamental rights, the budgetary process, the line item veto, legislative tyranny, and national representation of the District of Columbia,. Her books include The Choice of the People? Debating the Electoral College; National Representation for the District of Columbia; The Mainstream of Western Political Thought; and The Case Against Direct Election of the President, A Defense of the Electoral College. Her academic expertise was recognized by numerous organizations that invited her to speak, including the American Political Science Association, MIT, Northwestern University Law School, The Freedom Forum, The Center for the Study of the Presidency, and The National Press Club, among many others. She was also very honored to be asked to speak at the bicentennial celebration of the U.S. Constitution held in Philadelphia.
Her expertise was recognized in Congress as well. Judy testified before the United States Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution in 1977, 1979, 1992, and before the United States House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Sub Committee on the Constitution in 1997. She played a critical role, working with both Democrat and Republican Senators defending the Constitution. In the late 1970s, there was a serious effort to eliminate the Electoral College and directly elect the President and Vice President. New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan called this misguided proposal, “the most radical transformation in our constitutional system that has ever been considered.” Utah Senator Orin Hatch said that her assistance was “critical to preserving the most fundamental principles of our nation’s founding.”
A world traveler, Judy explored dozens of countries in six of the seven continents, sometimes multiple times. On these trips she always brought her intellectual curiosity and sense of adventure, whether riding an elephant in India, zip lining in Costa Rica, or climbing the steps of Machu Pichu. She developed a love of golf from her beloved father, prompting her to be a decades-long member of the Ithaca Country Club where she also served many years as a board member. Her passion for teaching, travel and golf, was only exceeded by her love for her friends and family (and her annual trips home to Calumet Michigan). She was honored to be named one of Calumet High School’s Distinguished Alumnae in 2005.
Judy is survived by her children, Michael (Karen) Best of Phoenix, Arizona, David (Margaret) Best of Vienna, Virginia and her grandchildren Nicholas and Nancy Best, and Carolyn, Thomas and Dominic Best, as well as many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Dominic and Dorothy; and her brother Gerald.
A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, at St. Mark Catholic Church in Vienna, Virginia with Father Linus Klucsarits.
Burial will be in the St. Mark columbarium, in Vienna.
In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, the family suggests memorials be given to the Food For the Poor or to their preferred charity.
She was born on April 7, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois, a daughter of the late Dominic and Dorothy (Ahrbeck) Vairo.
She attended Calumet High School in 1955, and, after her graduation, attended Michigan State University. She settled in Ithaca New York where she spent most of her life before moving in 2019 to Vienna Virginia. She was a Distinguished Teacher of Political Science at State University of New York at Cortland. She received her Ph.D. in political science from Cornell University in 1971 and her Masters Degree in English Literature from the University of Michigan in 1963. She received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1977; the American Higher Education and Carnegie Foundation Honor Salute for Educational Leadership in 1986; and the Gerald DiGiusto Award to the Outstanding Member of the Faculty in 1989. She was promoted to the rank of Distinguished Teaching Professor by the SUNY Chancellor in 1984. Before coming to Cortland, Judy taught English at Ithaca College and later American Government at Cornell.
Judy published over 45 articles on various subjects including: the Electoral College, the rule of law, fundamental rights, the budgetary process, the line item veto, legislative tyranny, and national representation of the District of Columbia,. Her books include The Choice of the People? Debating the Electoral College; National Representation for the District of Columbia; The Mainstream of Western Political Thought; and The Case Against Direct Election of the President, A Defense of the Electoral College. Her academic expertise was recognized by numerous organizations that invited her to speak, including the American Political Science Association, MIT, Northwestern University Law School, The Freedom Forum, The Center for the Study of the Presidency, and The National Press Club, among many others. She was also very honored to be asked to speak at the bicentennial celebration of the U.S. Constitution held in Philadelphia.
Her expertise was recognized in Congress as well. Judy testified before the United States Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution in 1977, 1979, 1992, and before the United States House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Sub Committee on the Constitution in 1997. She played a critical role, working with both Democrat and Republican Senators defending the Constitution. In the late 1970s, there was a serious effort to eliminate the Electoral College and directly elect the President and Vice President. New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan called this misguided proposal, “the most radical transformation in our constitutional system that has ever been considered.” Utah Senator Orin Hatch said that her assistance was “critical to preserving the most fundamental principles of our nation’s founding.”
A world traveler, Judy explored dozens of countries in six of the seven continents, sometimes multiple times. On these trips she always brought her intellectual curiosity and sense of adventure, whether riding an elephant in India, zip lining in Costa Rica, or climbing the steps of Machu Pichu. She developed a love of golf from her beloved father, prompting her to be a decades-long member of the Ithaca Country Club where she also served many years as a board member. Her passion for teaching, travel and golf, was only exceeded by her love for her friends and family (and her annual trips home to Calumet Michigan). She was honored to be named one of Calumet High School’s Distinguished Alumnae in 2005.
Judy is survived by her children, Michael (Karen) Best of Phoenix, Arizona, David (Margaret) Best of Vienna, Virginia and her grandchildren Nicholas and Nancy Best, and Carolyn, Thomas and Dominic Best, as well as many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Dominic and Dorothy; and her brother Gerald.
A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, at St. Mark Catholic Church in Vienna, Virginia with Father Linus Klucsarits.
Burial will be in the St. Mark columbarium, in Vienna.
In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, the family suggests memorials be given to the Food For the Poor or to their preferred charity.
View current weather.
Memories Timeline
Guestbook
Sign the Guestbook, Light a Candle
Judy and I went to grade school together in Laurium MI (suburb of Calumet), lived next door to each other and spent hours exploring and playing girl-kind of stuff. We rode our bikes everywhere, including to the George Gipp Memorial Park, a few blocks away and to a natural spring on the highway to Lake Linden. Judy would sneak out to read the latest comic books we had (they weren’t allowed in her home). In the winter, we walked along the tops of 10′ snow banks all the way to school, built snow forts in the back yard and had snow ball fights. We moved to southern MI when I was 10 and I didn’t reconnect with Judy again until sophomore year at Michigan State University.
Reading her obit, I’m not surprised hearing of her many accomplishments. She was brilliant, energetic, focused and fun. A truly exceptional lady and I’m grateful that I can say I knew her when . . . . .