11/03/1937 — 02/23/2017
Judith was the youngest of two daughters born to Eleanor Clare and Lloyd Francis (known as Patrick) Hollywood, Nov. 3, 1937 in Illinois
She was born into a materially poor, yet spiritually rich family. Her Catholic mother was deeply spiritual and was the source and influence of Judith’s deep love and faith in God and her deep connection to Lord Jesus. She taught her that one should always help those in greater need than themselves. Judith learned quickly that her mother defined that as anyone in need. No matter what little their family had, her mother always found something to share or give to another asking for help. Judith’s alcoholic father was not in the home as she grew up, and her mother single-handedly raised Judith and her sister. Often the 2 girls would be left alone at home while their mother went off to work during the day. They were told if there was a problem to go downstairs to the neighbor’s. Looking back on that later, Judith said, “Oh how my mother must have worried!”
She didn’t go to college, instead working and staying home to help support her mother and sister, who died young. In the 1960’s Judith moved to San Francisco, taking a job as secretary in the planning dept. She was open to spiritual teachings and was curious about other beliefs, and about 1965 she heard Swami lecture when taking Dr. Haridas Chaudhuri’s place after his heart attack. She loved the lecture and continued to attend Swami’s classes and satsangs in San Francisco in the early years, and visited Ananda frequently during that time.
Judith loved to travel, and in the late 60’s/early 70’s she took a break from work and backpacked around Europe for 3 months. She loved meeting people of different cultures, and said that no matter how different people were outwardly, in language, food, customs, etc, people were essentially the same. They all loved their family and friends, and wanted their children to be better off than they were, and all wanted to be happy.
Judith was married in the 80’s and although it was a happy marriage, they decided to go their separate ways after 6 years. She said she felt she was not the marrying type and that the marriage was not spiritually good for her husband. Her husband later happily re-married and had children.
Judith was one of the first people at the Ananda Palo Alto community when it was founded in the early 80s, and was a pioneer in the starting of that community. After moving to Ananda Village in 1986, she worked doing bookkeeping for various Ananda businesses, Ananda Publications, Mountain Song, Accounting Department, and Shrine of the Masters, to name a few.
She loved to dance, especially square dancing. She also enjoyed ballroom dancing with Satya Cox, one of Ananda’s founding members. Satya had been an Arthur Murray instructor and often offered ballroom dancing lessons at Ananda.
Judith was very close to her biological family. When her mother approached the end of her life she took a leave of absence and went back to take care of her until her passing in 1996. She loved her family and kept a special place in her heart for them, and when her mother passed away, Judith stepped into the role of matriarch of the family. Now she has passed the baton.
Judith was a very quiet person, with a great deal of purity of heart, serving quietly in the background, never looking for recognition. She would take any situation and find the positive side of it or the spiritual lesson to be learned. She was everyone’s friend, with a quick wit and a hearty laugh, and thought of others before herself. She loved to read the Gita every morning with a cup of tea, and studied and practiced the teachings actively everyday.
Judith was one very few people who felt that she had accomplished in this life all that she set out to do. She had consciously worked on tying up loose ends and resolving any unfinished business with people. She was the living example of What God Gives, I Take, carrying herself with an amazing amount of grace, courage, and fortitude.
