Karens Weight Loss Journal

Hi all

Not really going to say too much today - but am just going to post the tribute that I read at Jude's funeral this afternoon and will also post the "famous" picture that was on the casket, on the service sheet and that everyone is asking for...
I managed to read most of the tribute without breaking down but only because I didn't look up - just kept on reading... only broke down as I got near the end... But the hardest bit was doing the pall bearing - not only was it heavy but it was emotionally draining as well. We did have a laugh though later about how Jude would have been pissing herself laughing at us 6 women struggling to carry her out of the chapel as Jude was not a small lady!


A Tribute to Jude

Although I have only known Jude for 3½ years they have been the most amazing 3½ years for me!

I first met Jude when I started working at DOC as a temporary employee in September 2002 and my first impressions of her were:

· What a caring, thoughtful and very friendly lady
· What an amazing sense of humour
· What a very popular person with all staff

We had some fun times at DOC as a team and Jude was always one to have a joke and a good laugh.

Unfortunately, I left DOC in August 2003 but Jude and I kept in touch through emails, texts and phone calls, and of course meeting for lunch.

I have since come to work at DOC permanently and was so looking forward to working with Jude again and she was always saying to me “Just keep my seat warm Karen - I will be back”. The team is just not going to be the same without her! We all miss you so much Jude! You taught me how to give cheek to Bazil and how to keep him in line, and don’t worry, I will keep that up for you but I will never do it as well as you did!

Jude helped me a lot when it came to organising my wedding in late 2003 and insisted on doing the service sheets for us through her business and wouldn’t let us pay a cent!

Boy we sure had many an argument about that but as many a friend of hers will testify it was hard to argue with Jude when she was determined to do something. That was one of her greatest attributes, her willingness to always go out of her way to help and assist others! She always thought of others before herself no matter how much sleep she lost doing it! I would often ask her how she slept when she was looking tired and she would tell me that she had not slept well at all - due to too much thinking! But very rarely was it about herself - it was always about her friends or family… and oh sometimes work too!

I do feel strange in the sense that I have not known Jude for as long as a lot of you people here today but in the short time I have known her we just seemed to have “clicked” and formed a special friendship and I will never ever forget that! Jude was a very special friend to me (and Stephan) especially through the last 12 months or so when I suffered two miscarriages as she would come down and make sure I was okay on the nights when Stephan was out at his rifle club and she was always emailing or calling me to see how I was doing and for that I will always be eternally grateful.

Jude, you have been my number one supporter since I started my weight loss journey - who am I gonna text each Thursday evening now to let them know how I got on? You were always there for me, always telling me off when I put myself down, always telling me to look on the positive side of things and reminding me of how far I have come…

I would just like to share a wee paragraph that was written to me in a forum that I belong to as I thought it summed things up pretty well:

“It never makes sense (for a long time) why the good ones have to go. I believe that some people are so special that they are meant to be here to bring us together and teach us the value of love. They leave us forever changed and forever grateful…and then move on to a place of no physical or emotional limitations. What freedom!”

And to me that is so true – Jude has brought so many of us together in so many ways and for that we will be forever grateful.

Jude, you have taught me to have confidence within myself, and for that I will always be eternally grateful to you…

Jude, thank you for being there whenever I needed someone to talk to, to cry with, to moan to or just to hug. You were always there no matter what. You had a heart of gold and that will always mean so much to me.

Say hi to my angels and to my Dad for me… I love ya Jude and you will always be in my heart.






And one of the two of us that Steph took. This one was also used as part of the powerpoint presentation that was displayed during the service:


RIP Jude. I will never ever forget you and the friendship that we had. You mean so much to me and I will treasure every memory I have.