Serving the public for more than thirty-five years, the Chicago Tribune referred to her as “one of the state's most colorful and outspoken elected officials.”  She was successfully re-elected in November to a second four-year term as the Comptroller of the State of Illinois, which would have begun in January 2015.

"I believe that there aren’t many people in this world like Judy.  She touched everyone who she met with her resilience, candor, and endless energy. This is an enormous loss for all of us, who knew and loved her, as well as for the Czech Republic, which she loved her whole life,” said Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United States Petr Gandalovič.    

Although she was born in the United States, she spoke perfect Czech.  As a supporter of Czech-American ties, she worked on moving the statue of Czech poet and writer Karel Havlicek Borovsky to one of the most attractive locations in Chicago.

Judy Baar Topinka was a Republican and a pioneer in Illinois politics, paving the road for all women.  She stepped into politics in 1980, when elected to the Illinois House. She then served in the Illinois Senate from 1984 for a decade before becoming state treasurer.  Albeit defeated, she was the state’s first woman nominee for governor in 2006.