Judy may have been Dolly Parton’s biggest fan, her very favorite song being Jolene. Judy was delighted, then—and perhaps took it as a sign—when she found out that the woman she had started dating in 2005, Alycia Erickson, had Jolene as her middle name. Judy and Alycia connected over their shared love of music and being out in nature. They were married on April 22, 2006, at a beautiful ceremony in Austin, Texas. There they built a life together that included a rowdy household of sons and pets, lots of fun and laughter, and many dear friends.

Judy was probably most proud of the family she created and how hard she worked to make it a loving, supportive place to be. She loved her boys fiercely and was immensely proud of how they have built lives for themselves and met the challenges that life has given them. After the boys were grown, Judy worked hard to pull everyone together for holidays, birthdays, and other events. She so enjoyed being surrounded by those she loved, creating memories, maintaining family traditions, and making relationships stronger. Even when it was hard, and it certainly was at times, Judy was determined to make sure that everyone in her family knew how very much she loved them.

Besides the music of Dolly Parton and other country artists, Judy also loved contemporary praise music. At Pikes Peak MCC, Judy served as a leader in the church’s band, playing guitar and leading the church in praise songs with that strong, inspiring voice of hers. She played guitar throughout her life and would sing to and with her boys, sometimes accompanied by guitar, often in the car when driving them home from school.

Judy also enjoyed old-time music like the songs featured in the film Oh Brother Where Art Thou. That was a movie that she particularly enjoyed watching with the family, but there were others, too. Raising Arizona was one that anyone who knew Judy well would have to watch with her, if they hadn’t seen it yet. Then there was the annual family tradition of watching Christmas Vacation, usually at Thanksgiving. Even if you weren’t a fan of the movie yourself, watching it with Judy and seeing how much she enjoyed it was a real treat.

Of course, everyone who knew Judy knew how much she loved fishing. She was never more at peace than when standing next to a lake or river, fishing pole in hand. Even more, though, Judy loved to take other people fishing. Throughout her time fighting cancer, even when she became quite weak, Judy was always asking “When are we going fishing?”

Judy especially loved introducing kids to the sport. Any child lucky enough to go fishing with Judy was likely to remember it forever—and to ask when they could go again. Some of her proteges even wrote to her after she become ill, sending pictures they had drawn of the time they spent fishing together.

Football was another love of Judy’s. She loved to gather other fans in her home for football Sundays and, of course, taunt them if they did not share her support for the Green Bay Packers. Friends VJ, Kristen, Cindy, and Denise were often in attendance, and Mary Snider, a good friend and fellow football fan from Austin, would even fly to Colorado during football season to watch playoffs with Judy.Judy’s son James was also a Green Bay Packers fan, and they would catch up on the team’s progress throughout the season.

Judy’s love of life was contagious, and she could be counted on to gather people together regularly and to make sure that everyone had a good time. These gatherings might involve camping, playing board games and card games, and, as often as possible, besting her sons at ping pong.

Judy was raised in the Pentecostal Christian tradition by parents who loved worship and singing and passed that desire for spiritual connection on to their daughter. Judy faced many trials and challenges searching for a spiritual home that celebrated all that she was, including her fierce love for her chosen family and her belief in the all-encompassing love of God.

After coming out as gay and moving to Austin, Judy became a devoted member of The Gathering Place and then upRising–formerly Metropolitan Community Church of Austin. Since moving to Colorado Springs, she has been part of Pikes Peak MCC, where her wife Alycia Erickson is pastor. Throughout her life, Judy has devoted herself to illustrating the power of faith in shaping and sustaining all that is good and true in a life lived well.