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Isabella Martha Judd Death: Age 58 Birth: Date 11 Apr 1958 Death: Date 6 Sep 2016 Death Place: Los Angeles, California, USA
Cause of death: Accident at residence
A few of our fellow Rams have connected with me, asking how and why I would have these above pics of Bella that I posted. Thus, I am compelled to write about Bella. Looking across this list of Gone But Not Forgotten Rams, I am floored by how many have passed and how little I followed them until reading this page about their demise (Gordo, Spaff, Teddd, Zil, Bella, Leta, Mouse, and Shawn to name a few).
I did get to know Bella, but not until after HHS, and thus want to share my thoughts and a few things I learned about her, because I suspect most Rams didn’t keep up with her after graduation. First, know that there was not an obituary for her passing and, in fact, it was very difficult to get any information related to her death. Sadly, her family has all but disowned her. It was like that when I got to know her better, at the turn of the century, it appears to be the theme of her life. I’ll explain.
Bella moved to SLC the year we all met her, the year we all graduated. She had some serious ski buddies (Kathy Clark and Julie Daynes most specifically), and sort of whipped in and out of our lives without much comment. Sitting by the front doors of the school, where groups of folks would lean against the entry walls while seated on the floor, I can remember a few spring days towards the end of our school year, where Bella would join Kathy and Julie for an early day departure, climb into the “bug” and, assumably, head for the slopes. For me, that was all I knew about her. On one such day, Bella was wearing a yellow spring dress. And as she hurried out the doors towards the bug, in her Maralyn Monroe Moment, her pretty dress inverted up around her ears and arms and, well you get it. Memorable for sure, but engrained in my brain because Bodell, sitting with the usual crew, blew out “OOOhhh, Bella!!!”, pretty much putting words to what most everyone was thinking.
Bella was LDS and one of 9 children from her relatively militant Bishop father Samual and mother Rebecca. Both of her parents were deaf, so Bella learned to sign collectively with learning to speak. She had periods of intense spiritual awakening, along with the shadow events that would eventually counterbalance. Samual and Rebecca lived in California, and Bella’s departure to SLC for her senior year was her first big adventure away from them.
That year, while doing Senior stuff with us, trying her hand at modeling, Bella met her first to be husband, while skiing at Snowbird. Keith was from Aspen, which is where I later moved and how I eventually reconnected (or really connected) with Bella. Keith was a consummate ski instructor that travelled internationally based on where there was snow, owned a kayaking school, and filled in by waiting tables. Bella quickly became his clone, doing the same work and traveling with Keith, side by side.
Keith went to Montana, Bella stayed in Aspen and tore her knee. It was early spring of 1977, the end of her modeling and ski instructor careers, and the arrival of her real demons. Bella tried every new knee surgery available, as many were then starting to hit the market, each removing more of her bone and cartilage, each adding more metal, each insuring she’d be on pain meds for the rest of her life. None worked.
Bella would birth 4 children, Annalissa (9/13/88), Kameron (1/2/93), Samuel David (3/30/95), and Lance (3/15/98). She would endure 3 marriages, had a definite man type, and would be in and out of hospitals from accidents and beatings, and court rooms for custody hearings, during most of it. Bella was seriously misunderstood and lacked advocacy.
Like many codeine addicts, Bella would self-medicate with alcohol. And most who started out close to her, soon found themselves on the other end of their compassion and without a plan.
As a CODA (child of deaf parents), Bella thrived the last couple of decades of her life by being an interpreter for the Los Angeles County Court System. She reveled in representing under-represented deaf-person minorities and advocating for them while translating. It was Bella’s real flow. I was graced with several visits during her power period, 90s to 2005, both in the LA area, and when she’d come visit me in Snowmass Village, Colorado. She had a wrecked knee and some serious family baggage, but I would have to egg her stories out of her, nevertheless. She was beautiful as ever, more relaxed now she had left her hot-mess period behind her. No skiing, but lots of fun.
Isabella Martha Judd last visited me in Colorado during the summer of 2005, and our communications went dark soon after. Bella died in her Golden Year on September 6th, 2016, where she was 58 yrs old, having been born 4/11/1958. Ciao Bella! ❤
Thank you for your comments. I didn't know Bela well, but we tend to forget that we are all interconnected humans leading important lives. I have enjoyed my contact with my fellow RAMS and look forward to our 50 year reunion.
Dear Mark "Nick" - You are an outstanding writer. I regret that I did not know Bella, though I might have been intimidated by her movie star beauty. Yet, through your compelling writing, you show us that she was so much more. Her service to the deaf community is truly commendable and you convey the depth of her struggles. Thank you for writing and sharing this extraordinary piece and helping us to better understand our classmate, Bella, gone too soon. Catherine
Nancy Tannenbaum (Viscofsky)
Isabella Martha Judd
Death: Age 58
Birth: Date 11 Apr 1958
Death: Date 6 Sep 2016
Death Place: Los Angeles, California, USA
Cause of death: Accident at residence
NOTE: No obituary is available.
Mark "Nick" Nicholson
Mark "Nick" Nicholson
Mark "Nick" Nicholson
A few of our fellow Rams have connected with me, asking how and why I would have these above pics of Bella that I posted. Thus, I am compelled to write about Bella. Looking across this list of Gone But Not Forgotten Rams, I am floored by how many have passed and how little I followed them until reading this page about their demise (Gordo, Spaff, Teddd, Zil, Bella, Leta, Mouse, and Shawn to name a few).
I did get to know Bella, but not until after HHS, and thus want to share my thoughts and a few things I learned about her, because I suspect most Rams didn’t keep up with her after graduation. First, know that there was not an obituary for her passing and, in fact, it was very difficult to get any information related to her death. Sadly, her family has all but disowned her. It was like that when I got to know her better, at the turn of the century, it appears to be the theme of her life. I’ll explain.
Bella moved to SLC the year we all met her, the year we all graduated. She had some serious ski buddies (Kathy Clark and Julie Daynes most specifically), and sort of whipped in and out of our lives without much comment. Sitting by the front doors of the school, where groups of folks would lean against the entry walls while seated on the floor, I can remember a few spring days towards the end of our school year, where Bella would join Kathy and Julie for an early day departure, climb into the “bug” and, assumably, head for the slopes. For me, that was all I knew about her. On one such day, Bella was wearing a yellow spring dress. And as she hurried out the doors towards the bug, in her Maralyn Monroe Moment, her pretty dress inverted up around her ears and arms and, well you get it. Memorable for sure, but engrained in my brain because Bodell, sitting with the usual crew, blew out “OOOhhh, Bella!!!”, pretty much putting words to what most everyone was thinking.
Bella was LDS and one of 9 children from her relatively militant Bishop father Samual and mother Rebecca. Both of her parents were deaf, so Bella learned to sign collectively with learning to speak. She had periods of intense spiritual awakening, along with the shadow events that would eventually counterbalance. Samual and Rebecca lived in California, and Bella’s departure to SLC for her senior year was her first big adventure away from them.
That year, while doing Senior stuff with us, trying her hand at modeling, Bella met her first to be husband, while skiing at Snowbird. Keith was from Aspen, which is where I later moved and how I eventually reconnected (or really connected) with Bella. Keith was a consummate ski instructor that travelled internationally based on where there was snow, owned a kayaking school, and filled in by waiting tables. Bella quickly became his clone, doing the same work and traveling with Keith, side by side.
Keith went to Montana, Bella stayed in Aspen and tore her knee. It was early spring of 1977, the end of her modeling and ski instructor careers, and the arrival of her real demons. Bella tried every new knee surgery available, as many were then starting to hit the market, each removing more of her bone and cartilage, each adding more metal, each insuring she’d be on pain meds for the rest of her life. None worked.
Bella would birth 4 children, Annalissa (9/13/88), Kameron (1/2/93), Samuel David (3/30/95), and Lance (3/15/98). She would endure 3 marriages, had a definite man type, and would be in and out of hospitals from accidents and beatings, and court rooms for custody hearings, during most of it. Bella was seriously misunderstood and lacked advocacy.
Like many codeine addicts, Bella would self-medicate with alcohol. And most who started out close to her, soon found themselves on the other end of their compassion and without a plan.
As a CODA (child of deaf parents), Bella thrived the last couple of decades of her life by being an interpreter for the Los Angeles County Court System. She reveled in representing under-represented deaf-person minorities and advocating for them while translating. It was Bella’s real flow. I was graced with several visits during her power period, 90s to 2005, both in the LA area, and when she’d come visit me in Snowmass Village, Colorado. She had a wrecked knee and some serious family baggage, but I would have to egg her stories out of her, nevertheless. She was beautiful as ever, more relaxed now she had left her hot-mess period behind her. No skiing, but lots of fun.
Isabella Martha Judd last visited me in Colorado during the summer of 2005, and our communications went dark soon after. Bella died in her Golden Year on September 6th, 2016, where she was 58 yrs old, having been born 4/11/1958. Ciao Bella! ❤
Jonathan Huefner
Nicely done, Nick.
Wayne Oberg
Mark,
Thank you for your comments. I didn't know Bela well, but we tend to forget that we are all interconnected humans leading important lives. I have enjoyed my contact with my fellow RAMS and look forward to our 50 year reunion.
Wayne Oberg
Catherine Pyke
Dear Mark "Nick" - You are an outstanding writer. I regret that I did not know Bella, though I might have been intimidated by her movie star beauty. Yet, through your compelling writing, you show us that she was so much more. Her service to the deaf community is truly commendable and you convey the depth of her struggles. Thank you for writing and sharing this extraordinary piece and helping us to better understand our classmate, Bella, gone too soon. Catherine