Our Sad News

If you have been in the library in the past few days, you may have noticed that the staff on the 2nd floor have seemed a bit sad. Judy, one of our own, passed away early Monday morning. You may have read one of her great blog posts, signed your child up to participate in one of her wonderful programs, or had your questions answered in her positive, friendly way, but Judy was by all accounts the nicest person that any of us have had the pleasure of knowing. There aren't many of us in the Youth Services department and we work closely together and quickly become family, but Judy's ability to make each and every one of us feel loved, comforted, and accepted goes beyond any work relationship.

As with all grief, it can be hard to express how you feel and different people react in different ways. While we all feel the loss of Judy in our own ways, your child might feel their own loss differently than you would. In our parenting and picture book collections, we have many books that deal with loss, from the loss of a grandparent to the loss of a pet. Sometimes it helps to read about others dealing with a similar situation to help your child cope with their own feelings. This also gives you the opportunity to discuss happy memories and learn to talk about your loss.

Here are a few of our favorite Judy memories:

~Judy was incredibly creative. With her ideas for Story Explorers and Stories and More, and craft and program ideas.

~Her excitement for the kids participating in her programs.

~Judy loved to take pictures of each of the kids not only because she wanted them to have recognition for the great things they were doing, but also because she was so incredibly proud of them.

~How much she loved her family, and how much she talked about how wonderful they were.

~Judy was always ready with a new craft idea. She purchased the books for that part of our collection and loved every minute of ordering them.

~Judy never had a bad word to say about anyone, and never uttered a complaint.

~Judy was an extraordinary person who always smiled, opened her heart, listened with a caring ear, gave generously, lived humbly, had true patience, gave her time freely to others, loved the library, loved our library families, and abounded with wonderful program ideas. Her life is an example for us all.

~She really had a joy for life that came out in everything she did.

~Judy loved working at the library. Whether it was dressing as Auntie Em for last year's Wizard of Oz program, corralling a group of excited girls and boys building LEGO creations, or being the Mistress of Ceremonies at the Battle of the Books, Miss Judy always gave it her all.

Please share your memories of "Miss Judy" with us here.