Judith Diane Shulman

Judith Diane Shulman passed away peacefully at home, in Colorado Springs, on May 21, 2024 at the age of 71. She was surrounded by her children, friends, a mountain of heartfelt cards, and, as has been since her childhood, a cat purring by her side.

To sum up the life, in a few short sentences, of a woman so full of love, is nearly impossible. This will not be a traditional obituary for an ordinary person. I will start with what my mom doesn’t care about: she was beautiful. My dad always said he won the Nashville election for Public Defender because secretly people were voting for my mom. My aunts and uncles talk of her beauty at the Dairy Queen where she first worked in East Tennessee, and how impressed (shocked) they were that my dad was able to date her. Uncle Lance talked about watching my mom on channel 4 television long before he ever met her, and thinking, “My god, that is the perfect woman!” Her smile could immediately light up a room, from the starlit hills of Pasadena to the different type of hills in Elizabethton, to the elegant parties she would throw in Nashville, to the farms in Bell Buckle or the high-rises of NYC or the solo trips to Senegal. Funny she thought my dad was “the Ramblin Man.” But my mom was the rolling stone so full of adventure and so lacking in fear.

You thought my spirit came from dad, but more of it came from you than you can ever imagine. She would take us three kids for a ride in her red convertible when we were just out of car seats, and she would own the roads. But my mom realized long before most, that beauty is not a skill - what else can you do? My mom was spectacular. Talented beyond belief, she was eloquent, smart, and more than anything else, filled with a desire to bring good to the world. Her ability to conjure beauty from anywhere was astonishing - and she used this skill to create gardens and loving houses across the country for her family, and then to be cherished by another. She had a soft heart and would support humans and animals alike, when in need, and always had a menagerie of mostly stray cats, dogs, goats, miniature horses, etc. to share her love with. Her strength was incredible - from carting three small kids across the country, by herself, to start a new life, to building a “tree house” that made other homes in the neighborhood appear small, by hand at the age of 60 - Marisa, you got this strength and determination from her. But her greatest accomplishment was her uncanny ability to be a great mother to her three children. She taught us from an early age that love and time were the most important gifts. Being systematically late our entire lives was a gift - that those moments in life together were more important than whatever we were going to. Driving over the curbs and grass at the California In & Out burger because the line was too long taught us to do more than color outside the lines. Moving every two years for the past 35 years has taught us to embrace change and the adventure of life. Driving to all of Marisa’s horse shows, Jeremy’s basketball games, and driving to pick me up from a variety of events when I quickly became homesick taught us to love and to give more than you take. Mom, you always thought Jeremy took after dad, but his love and tender heart - the essence of his true self - came directly from you. Mom asked her students in school each morning to say, “What will I do today to make the world a better place?” Some kids didn’t get it at the time - they were, after all, middle school and high school students. But constantly, my mom would be stopped by a random student at a Walmart or a gas station, and a former student would say, “You don’t understand the impact you made on my life, the lessons you taught me that were greater than schoolwork,” or another student would say, “You know, I wasn’t very nice in high school, and sometimes I would act out. And I’m sorry for that. But you made me really aspire to make the world a better place. And I think of your words every day.”

Mom’s greatest fault was also her greatest gift - she loved too much. My mom loved her family, the Seiler family. She was her own mom’s shadow when growing up and was also there to protect her mom when she got older. She helped her older Sister, Melinda, sneak out as kids and cherished her friendship as adults as well as all of our wonderful trips to Boston. She had countless conversations with her dear sister, Shari, and countless more adventures together in Mexico and beyond. She found solace in the warmth of her sister, Sandy, when we first moved to California. Her baby sister, Dodie, her “real-life doll” when they were little, was always there for her throughout my mom’s life as a sister and a friend. Her younger brother, David, provided laughter and kindness over the years. My mom would always tell me stories of her incredibly talented sister, Susie, and similar stories of her talented and inspired father. My mom loved the Shulman family more than any of them can ever imagine, and the Shulman family embraced her as one of their own. She loved her kids more than any other mom could. And her three kids will always be grateful for the security, kindness, and love that they were raised with.

She will always be loved. And will always be remembered.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity. My mom’s memory would best be served by helping people and animals in need, which was always her life’s goal.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ChapelofMemoriesfh.com for the Shulman family.