Judith "Judy" Solomon: RIP
About a week and a half ago, I found out that Judy died - on May 25. I was checking my email when I came across the news. Immediately I was crestfallen. Just that Monday I was thinking about her. I was hoping to meet up with her, now that we were returning to the sandwich runs at Sanctuary. Just looking forward to having conversations with her and James crossed my mind several times that Monday, but when I heard the news she died the previous Saturday I was saddened.
Never having experienced the loss of someone I knew on the streets, I wasn't sure what to feel. Judy wasn't close by any means, but she definitely represented a part of my life, part of my energy, part of a community that has shaped my own life and worldview. I felt sense of sadness - that I would not be able to have another conversation with her, as I had hoped for. I wasn't wracked in grief, but the sadness felt was almost mystical.
Taking some time to find her obituary in the papers, I only found it in the Toronto Sun of all places. I searched both the Toronto Star and Globe and Mail with no luck. I asked Craig (who forwarded me the news in the first place) to get in touch with Lara who was trying to find more information about Judy. I met with Lara, Craig's fellow Massey College resident; she wanted to get some reflections on Judy to write up an article in the Globe and Mail's "Lives Lived" column. Her immediate concern was that Judy would be forgotten, but as she delved into Judy's community, she found many people affected, touched, and continuing to remember Judy.
I gave her two phots I had of James and Judy. She will give those photos and a leather bag to James in which to hold photos of Judy.
We ran into James with two other men in their "regular" place outside Varsity Stadium. After chatting a bit and buying several bottles of juice for them, we parted and I left for home.
We're still missing the rest of the MCBC crew at the sandwich runs. We had the Heaven's Gates, Hell's Flames drama production going on, so most people were at that last Monday. But we'll all be out in force pretty soon... I hope!