Judy St. Julian Horton a 1963 graduate of Kashmere Gardens Junior & Senior High School is the daughter of the late James and Ivory Dell St. Julian and the oldest of nine (9) children. As the eldest her parents bestowed and trusted her with a great deal of responsibility caring for her younger siblings. It instilled outstanding leadership qualities that would carry on throughout her high school athletic career and her work history. Judy attended grade school at Our Mother of Mercy; this is where her inspiration for sports began with the help of Mrs Catherine Trahan. Judy stated; Mrs Catherine Trahan was an excellent teacher of volleyball and I learned a great deal from her teaching. St. Julian also was a pitcher on the softball team at Mother of Mercy.
In those years kids had no television or video games to entertain them so everyone gravitated to outdoors games for entertainment. This is when Judy competitive edge for sports went to another level as she regularly played basketball and baseball with the boys in the neighborhood.
Entering the ninth grade at Kashmere Gardens she finally was able to play varsity sports and ready she was. She blossom into a multi-talented three sports player participating in volleyball, tennis and swimming. In volleyball she lettered four years, won 4 City Titles and was Captain of the squad for 3 years. She also was on the swimming team and as a senior joined the tennis squad under Coach Ozell Harris. During the summer break, she worked as a swimming instructor at Kashmere High summer program.
Judy was asked about the lack of females of color in sports in the sixties and why it didn’t discourage her. She stated; I didn’t think about things like that, never thought about being famous or playing beyond the high school level. We played against other black schools and we just had fun competing against each other. Judy’s favorite coach was Bernadine Randle. Ms. Randle was strict, Judy said, but she made you want to win. Other coaches she loved: Ms. Lena Maiden, Ozell Harris and Elizabeth Bradley. Judy was named ‘Most Athletic’ Female in 1963 and graduated Kashmere after earning eight varsity letters.
After high school, Judy married and became a housewife. Once her children could take care of themselves, she enrolled at Houston Community College and received a degree in Medical Assistance. She begins working at Red Oak Hospital in the Pediatrics Department for two years before joining Dr. Floyd Luckett III, M.D. at Fannin Medical Center for 12 years as a Medical Assistant. She also worked for Lab Corp. for 12 years. Afterwards Judy worked with Senior’s at the Harris County Hospital Nutrition Program for five years.
She is a 2022 inductee into The Prairie View Interscholastic League Coaches Association “Hall of Fame” .Judy has been married to Lawrence Horton for 40 years has two children Monica Strait and Phillip Davis. They are blessed with four Grand-children and eight Great Grand-children. The leadership role that her parents created for her is still the makeup of Judy St. Julian Horton.
