Judith Kay Wigger

Judith Kay Wigger                                                                                   

Passed April 4^th, 2019. 7/28/43 - 4/4/19.

Judy has 4 siblings, two older sisters Barbara Dutton and Coletta Herrick, and two younger brothers Mike Herrick and Patrick Herrick, (deceased). She has three children, Brian Imler, Tim Imler and Kimberly Colburn. She was born and raised in Aurora, Colorado, lived several years in Phoenix, Arizona, then moved to Green Cove Springs, Florida.  

Judy Wigger a wonderful mother, sister, wife and friend passed away April 4^th, 2019, at the age of 75.  Because a long battle with Alzheimer’s took her memory and caused her to lose touch with so many people she cared about, I think its important to share the cherished memories she left us with.

My strongest memory of mom was that she was very kind and compassionate and always there to help someone in need. She epitomized the term, “the glass half full”, never complaining, always up beat and always with a smile.  Mom was always busy, she worked hard at her career as a small business owner, but we always knew that family was most important to her.  She gave us a beautiful nurturing home and required all of us to be at the kitchen table for family dinner every night. Many weekends she packed us all up, (including the hilarious family dog Toby), and we headed for the mountains of Colorado for a weekend of camping, fishing, hiking, and laughing. If we weren’t camping, we were home usually with the house full of neighbors and friends and mom would be cooking and mixing drinks in our basement bar, (which she helped build).  Everyone liked to hang out at our house because mom made sure everyone felt welcome. Every year mom would host the annual family 4^Th of July barbecue where family and friends would come to our house from far and wide to eat, drink, play horse shoes and choose up teams to play the annual softball game for bragging rights until the next year. Following the big softball game, the annual musical jam session in the garage with uncle Bruce and uncle Pat on their guitars and a handful of others would play late into the evening.  One-year mom played a classic prank on uncle Pat and told him that she had hired a professional band for the BBQ named the Del Rays and that they were going to let him play in the band. Uncle Pat arrived excited about his big break and asked where are the Del Rays? Little did he know that he had been playing with the Del Rays for several years, because the street we lived on was Del Ray drive. Mom loved music and had the stereo playing often with the sounds of Motown, the Beatles, and always Elvis, especially at Christmas. She loved the holidays and always decorated the house beautifully.  Big holiday dinners with family and friends around the table were very important to her. As kids we used to laugh at mom because every year at Christmas, she would organize a group of unsuspecting family and friends to go caroling, which we thought was silly but the neighbors always enjoyed it.  

Mom was a very strong woman.  She always told me you can be anything you want to be and always encouraged me to try new things.  She was not afraid of anything, (except spiders).  She loved camping, hiking, 4 wheeling in the family Toyota Land Cruiser, playing on a softball league, playing cards, singing, dancing, and laughing.

Mom I’ll always remember you as the strongest, most caring, and happy mom a son could ask for. I admire you for your willingness to help others and for your ability to always see the glass half full.   I will miss your smile and your laugh, but I will miss your great hugs the most.  

You will always be a part of my heart,

Brian