Good evening friends.
A year ago today we learned the world lost a living angel. Our dear friend and member of the ELS family, Judy Olson, passed away on April 29th, 2015. Both me and Scott would like to say a few words about Judy tonight.
Scott will start;
I had spoken to Judy several times over the past few months, and right until the end she kept her sense of humor. She had a lot of guts going for chemotherapy every other Monday, and just took everything in stride. Judy had two dogs and Sammy & Family promised her they would end up in good hands. After speaking with the family today, we found out they already have.
Sammy & Family, and friends had a lot of great moments with Judy, she was as nice as they come. Anytime she and I spoke, I always had to promise her the two dogs would be OK. She was selfless like that, those dogs were everything to her. We send prayers to Judy’s sister, and her family, whom I believe lived right near her, and prayers to her family on the west coast. Let’s close with this, Judy Olsen made the world a better place, and she will always be remembered.
Amen. Scott Smith for Sammy & Family.
Jessica’s words now; I would like to honor my dear friend Judy tonight as well;
Judy first caught my eye on the Sammy page because of the love and support she always showed to my brother and myself, Scott’s “boys” and my own children. She always had such an open and courageous spirit, and Scott is right in saying that she was able to find a way of laughing no matter what. I loved her very much and we became personal friends off of Sammy’s page.
We spent many nights talking until the wee hours of the morning, sharing experiences and stories about our lives, but more than anything, we laughed and laughed. Even on the day that she was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and given a prognosis of 3 months, or up to 6 months if she had chemo, even then she always focused on how blessed she was. Judy had a deep connection to God and used to say that she “wasn’t afraid to die, because she knew where she was going”. I know she is in that beautiful place right now, free of the pain and suffering she endured in silence during her illness, always feeling blessed and always a fighter.
Judy is another blessing that God brought me, and all of us through Sammy. She was my family for a short time on earth, and now we are family forever. She even spoke on the phone with my children and they took to her right away. Judy was coming to New York to spend time with my whole family in the coming months. I’m so sorry that wasn’t in Gods plan for her. I will miss her deeply, and wherever she is, I hope she knows how loved she was, and how thankful I am to her for being my friend.
It was always Judy’s dream to see NYC. Now that she lives amongst other angels, we want her to know that she always has a home wherever we are, and I will show her NYC in my heart.
Dear God, bless Judy. Dear God , lift her into the light in your arms. Judy gave love and joy to so so many. Her kindness and her compassion set her apart. She was a being of light and deserves to live forever amongst those with golden hearts.
Prayers for her sons and her whole family. Prayers for her four legged babies that she loved with all of her heart. May they be loved immeasurably in Judy’s name. I know she would want to thank them for being her best friends. They were always her only concern. God protect them.
Thank you Judy. I love you very much. Although our time together was short, you will always live in my heart. Your legacy lives on. I will never forget you my dear and deeply loved touchstone.
No lives will go in vain. No pain will go unnoticed. Amen,
Love from,
Jessica Lee Smith,
For Sammy and family
