Judy Crawford Weidick

Judy Weidick, 57, of Richland, passed away peacefully at the Capital House Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Wednesday, November 18, 2020. Judy suffered from spinocerebellar ataxia, a genetic disorder which slowly causes atrophy of the cells in the cerebellum. She was born on September 10, 1963 to Harold and Dorothy Crawford. She married her husband, Michael Weidick, on March 17, 1985. Michael was a loving and devoted husband, caring and advocating for his wife, Judy, for all the days that they spent together.

Please join us for a visitation that will be held from 1:00pm until 2:00pm on Saturday, December 5, 2020 at Holly Grove Cemetery at 782 Holly Grove Cir in Braxton, Mississippi 39044 and a Celebration of Life that will follow at 2:00pm at Holly Grove Cemetery in Braxton. Flowers may be sent to Baldwin-Lee Funeral Home at 3780 Highway 80 E in Pearl, Mississippi 39208. Judy wanted people to dress festively while attending her Celebration of Life. Please wear bright colours, tie dye, or anything unique and different to the Celebration. In lieu of flowers, you may donate to the National Ataxia Foundation at www.ataxia.org/donate

She will be sorely missed and is survived by her husband, Michael Weidick; father, Harold Crawford; brother, Michael Crawford, Sam Kirton, Wayne Kirton, and Mark Kirton; daughter, Rachel Bollinger and husband Michael Bollinger; son, Jody Weidick and wife Leagh; grandchildren, Kaden Giambalvo, Kinsey Anderson, Lennon Anderson, Madeline Bollinger, Mason Bollinger, Riley Weidick, Loey Weidick, and Emma Weidick; plus her many nieces and nephews. She will be joining her mother, step-mother, two siblings, and her granddaughter, Josalyn Marley, in Heaven. All of these she loved and touched deeply.

When reminiscing and revisiting memories of their life together, Michael, her husband, said, "Even knowing what I know now about her disease and the role I would play as her guardian and caretaker in these last years, I would do it all over again without hesitation. Judy was the love of my life, and she will always hold that place in my heart. I never would have thought that a chance encounter at a music venue would lead to a life lived together with Judy, but that's exactly what happened. We met because of her love for music and dancing. She walked right up to me and asked me to dance at a popular rock venue. We are still together over thirty-five years later. As Judy's Ataxia progressed, her dancing days eventually came to an end, but her love for music never ended. We would buy new vinyl record albums and just sit and listen to them together."

Melanie "Rachel" Bollinger, her daughter, shared several memories, saying, "I can remember playing outside and hearing Mom yell my name. It seems that no matter how far I had wandered or how many streets away I was, I could always hear her voice calling me home. Despite her petite size, her presence was larger than life. This included her voice. She knew how to tame a room with her confidence and natural beauty. Mom was lithe as a dancer, with sharp features and 'super model' thick, wavy hair. She had piercing dark green eyes and could stare down someone twice her size. Any time a new or cool song would come on, we would dance throughout the house. She loved rides at amusement parks, especially the Jackson Fair; more than the rides, she loved Famous Malone's taffy and corndogs with extra mustard. Mom would always give me the most comforting hugs. I can still feel her blowing on my sweaty neck to cool me down after playing outside. She was never short on love, making sure no matter how cross we became with one another, she would always say, 'I love you.' My mom taught me that no matter how bad things seem, all it took was a smile to make the day brighter. I know she is smiling down on us now and dancing with the angels. It gives me comfort that she joins my daughter Josalyn, and they dance among the clouds."

Jody Weidick, her son, says, "I reminisce about the time my mom and I had a "race" outside. We were living at Southwind, and her Ataxia was at a moderate level. One night, I asked her to have a race with me. Knowing that I was joking, she still accepted. We went from our garage to the neighbor's house and back. She walked as hard as she could, keeping her balance the whole way. I was prepared to catch her at any time, but not once did she need my help. My mom was determined to make the distance, and she did. She crossed that finish line and felt like she had run a marathon. I was so proud of her. She never once let her disease put a damper on her quality of life. She lived it to the fullest and made sure that I had a mom that was always at the top of her game. All of the love she gave me as a child, I now reflect onto my own kids, and I owe her for teaching me the right way to love a child. I wouldn't be me without her. I love you, Mom."