Thursday, June 07, 2007
Remembering Judy Garlow
Jane and I are fortunate to belong to the San Francisco Brain Tumor Support Group. One of the few good things about suffering with this disease (or, in my case, being a caregiver) is meeting other wonderful people who are in the same struggle.
Judy Garlow, whose obituary is in today's San Francisco Chronicle, was one of those wonderful people. A quiet but steady presence in meetings, she always listened more than she spoke -- but when she spoke, her questions and comments were always insightful and worth listening to.
When Jane went into hospice in January, Judy was one of the first people to offer emotional support. She called and sent notes regularly, and always had encouraging things to say. Not long ago, when her doctors at UCSF recommended that she enter hospice, I was privileged to get a call from Judy asking for guidance and advice.
Now I read in her obituary what a spectacularly accomplished person she was. She was a pioneer in finding alternative funding for legal aid programs for the poor after federal budget cuts crippled programs in the 1980s.
Knowing how Judy has been a kind friend to us, I can completely understand how she would not just see injustice, but work to do something about it. Turns out that working on others' behalf was integral to what Judy did, personally and professionally. I'm so sad she's gone.
Judy Garlow, whose obituary is in today's San Francisco Chronicle, was one of those wonderful people. A quiet but steady presence in meetings, she always listened more than she spoke -- but when she spoke, her questions and comments were always insightful and worth listening to.
When Jane went into hospice in January, Judy was one of the first people to offer emotional support. She called and sent notes regularly, and always had encouraging things to say. Not long ago, when her doctors at UCSF recommended that she enter hospice, I was privileged to get a call from Judy asking for guidance and advice.
Now I read in her obituary what a spectacularly accomplished person she was. She was a pioneer in finding alternative funding for legal aid programs for the poor after federal budget cuts crippled programs in the 1980s.
Knowing how Judy has been a kind friend to us, I can completely understand how she would not just see injustice, but work to do something about it. Turns out that working on others' behalf was integral to what Judy did, personally and professionally. I'm so sad she's gone.
