Judith Day Collins

Judith Wyatt Day Collins, 73, of Atlanta, GA, passed away Monday, July 2, 2017 at Emory St. Joseph Hospital. Judi was preceded in death by her husband Robert S. Collins II. She is survived by her sister Jeri Day, daughters Dawn Mischelle Garrett and Marni ‘LoVe Lee’ Day, granddaughters Briana ‘Breezi’ Ferenczy and Mandi Day, and grandson Ian Wyatt King, and many friends and loved ones.

Judi was born July 29, 1943 in Los Angeles, CA, the daughter of the late Willard Wyatt Day and Johnnie Johnson Day. Johnnie was a gifted blues singer in the 1930s, and through her, a musical legacy would be passed down through future generations. Johnnie moved with Jeri and Judi to St. Petersburg, FL, when Judi was a young child. Judi grew up in St. Petersburg with her sister, mother, stepfather Bob Aerts, and two stepsisters. She studied cosmetology and married Robert S. Collins II. After his death, she continued to work as a cosmetologist and raised her daughters Chelli and Marni into the two beautiful women they are. Judi and her daughters moved to Atlanta in the 1980s. She continued working as a cosmetologist, retiring after fifty years in the beauty industry.

Judi, also known as Lou, Mama Lou, Mama LoVe, and Nana, will be remembered for her open, loving, and generous spirit. She had a heart that was beyond what is considered large. She was exceptionally warm and accepting of everyone. Judi was more than the matriarch of her family and a loving mother to her daughters and grandchildren. She was a loving mom and friend to everyone who came into her life, offering love, acceptance and refuge. She gave many a sense of family that they may have never known without her. Her home was a place of comfort and safety. She was a funny, trusting, and genuine friend, an amazing artist, and devoted sister, mother, and grandmother. Judi possessed a deep sense of spirituality, and a love of nature. She loved water and her favorite place to be was near the water. She was interested in many things and studied topics from gemology to astrology. Judi was an immaculate designer and seamstress and creator of beautiful things.

Judi faced the challenges of her life with dignity, grace, and an abundance of resiliency. She lived in gratitude for all of her life’s experiences, good and bad, knowing they all were part of making her who she was. She said jokingly but also very sincerely that the next time around, she expects to come back as a saint, and we expect so as well. Actually many thought of Judi as a saint in this lifetime! Judi touched many lives with her love, kindness, generosity, talent and wisdom, and lives on in the hearts of those whose lives were changed by her.

A memorial service will be held July 10, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. at the Healium Center, Atlanta, GA. (www.healiumcenter.com) Rev. Vedam Clementi and Hillary Ellers will officiate. A light, covered dish will occur immediately afterwards. The address for The Healium Center is 344 Candler Park Dr. NE, Atlanta, Ga. 30307 and the phone number is 404-216-8877.