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Nobody looks forward to writing one of these, but I was dreading this one, even as I knew it was coming.
Judy Martin, also known as JBMOM and formerly, JBPUP, passed away just before Christmas.
Judy played for many years at Stewart's, mostly on Saturday afternoons and usually with one or both of her adult children. Prior to discovering Stewart's, the family often played at Grotto's Pizza in Wilmington. Judy moved to Delaware after a career teaching somewhere in Virginia that she described as being "just on the border between Leave It to Beaver and The Dukes of Hazzard."
As a former English teacher and avid reader, she had an exhaustive knowledge of both English and foreign literature. She had classic movies down cold. As a child of the South, she knew the Civil War like she'd fought it herself. She had an amazing recall for pop culture from the fifties to the present. She was an enthusiastic sports fan and rabid Cubs supporter. This broad base made her a formidable trivia player. For many years, she was the one to beat in solo games and on the monthly leader boards. That said, she never taunted or bragged. She always encouraged others to play, even helping them log in and create accounts.
A great lover of hand-crafted beer, especially barleywines, Judy would occasionally chastise anyone drinking a Coors Light or other such swill at Stewart's. There is nothing quite like seeing a big, beefy, biker-type dude being shamed into drinking a Belgian beer by a tiny little lady with blue hair and a genteel Southern accent. That light accent was also a delight when she rebuked her son with, "I did not carry you for eight months and go through an hour and a half of labor to have you treat me in such a manner."
Judy was well-loved by dozens of Saturday regulars, even though she'd not been able to play for several years. Her first minor stroke didn't bother her too much; the Cubs were in the playoffs, so she was able to watch the games without too many distractions in the hospital. When she got out, she still came into the bar, but not as often, as she had to depend on others to drive her and she couldn't sit on a bar stool anymore. After her second stroke, she took up residence in a nursing home. When I first visited, she was frustrated. Her roommate had a television and put Jeopardy! on for her. That was good, as she could hear Alex (even though she couldn't read the words), but she said she frequently knew that she knew the answer, but just couldn't get to it. The frustration weighed heavily on her. I visited several more times, but not often enough and not nearly recently enough.
She was a hell of a lady and she is dearly missed.
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