Judith (Judy) E. MacMillan, 78, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, April 19, 2026. Judy was born in Concord, New Hampshire, on July 10, 1947, to Bessie and Charles Bresaw.
Showing her characteristic strength and bravery, she left home immediately after high school to join the Army in 1965. Judy served four years as an Army nurse during the Vietnam War, dedicated to caring for wounded and injured soldiers. Her assignments included Ft. Sam Houston Hospital in Texas, Walter Reed Medical Hospital in Washington, D.C., and Ft. Devens Hospital in Massachusetts.
It was at Ft. Devens that Judy met her husband of 59 years, Ken MacMillan, while he was a patient under her care.
After leaving the military in 1969, Judy’s nursing career spanned the full spectrum of medical care. She served at Cambridge City Hospital (a Harvard Medical School
Teaching Hospital), St. John Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, and as a Unit Coordinator at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital. She eventually concluded her career at the California Men’s Colony Prison in San Luis Obispo.
In 1997, Judy took time away from her medical career to partner with her son, Mark, to start their family restaurant, DiStasio’s, in Los Osos / Morro Bay. There, she shared her love of cooking, adopting many recipes from Ken’s Italian heritage (DiStasio and Cristallo families).
From the casualties of war to leading-edge research, and from welcoming new babies to serving the inmate population, Judy’s work was defined by excellence. Although she privately battled PTSD and depression for over 57 years, she countered those struggles by demonstrating immense compassion and love toward her family, her staff, and her patients. She was recognized with numerous promotions and awards throughout her life, but her greatest legacy was the deep respect she earned from everyone she cared for.
Judy is survived by her devoted husband, Ken, and her son, Mark MacMillan.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the Vietnam
Women’s Memorial in Judy’s honor at https://vietnamwomensmemorial.org.
