Judy Malkiewicz
1950-2013
Judy Malkiewicz passed away at her home on September 25,
2013 in her beloved Mackay, Idaho after a 2 1/2 year battle with high risk
Multiple Myeloma. Judith Ann was born
December 8, 1950 in Fort Dix, New Jersey to Frank and Marjorie Christine
Malkiewicz.
Judy graduated high school in 1969 from H. H. Arnold High
School in Wiesbaden, Germany and earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from
the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado in 1973. She was employed as a registered nurse at
Children’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado following graduation. In 1975, Judy
began her 29-year teaching career at the University of Northern Colorado School
of Nursing where she retired as a Professor of Nursing in 2004. Judy earned her Masters of Nursing in 1975 and
PhD in Nursing in 1991 from the University of Colorado.
The thread that ran through Judy’s entire life was the
intensity and dedication she brought to any task at any given time. During her time at the University of Northern
Colorado, she was a dedicated mentor and professor – and Judy challenged and
expected much from her students. Judy
helped educate hundreds of nurses, as many would attest when chance meetings
would occur in various hospital settings. Their eyes would light up when they talked
about what a wonderful professor she was. In addition, Judy was regarded by her peers as
one of UNC’s top professors of pediatric nursing. While at UNC, she was awarded the M. Lucile
Harrison Award, a prestigious teaching award recognizing her outstanding
contributions to nursing education and teaching. Judy was the first founding member and
president of Sigma Theta Tau, Zeta Omicron Chapter at UNC, an international
honor society for nursing research and professional development. Judy loved her job, guiding and mentoring
future nurses in the art and science of nursing.
When not at work, she was always exploring, doing and
engaging others in some adventure.
Creating Christmas ornaments by the hundreds, making hundreds of handmade
greeting cards, training for and running in a marathon, researching her family genealogy
- you knew if Judy was involved, she was going to do it 110%.
When Judy retired in 2004 to Mackay, Idaho, hometown of her
grandmother and the birthplace of her mother, she became a vital part of the
Mackay community where she became immersed in the daily life and brought that
same enthusiasm to her new community. During
her time in the Lost River Valley, she was a Mackay Food Bank volunteer, helped
edit and publish a book called “The Mackay I Remember” with John Powers, was a former
president of South Custer Historical Society, volunteered at Mackay Elementary
helping at preschool and recognition assemblies, served as former Secretary of
Mackay Women’s Club, volunteered at the annual Custer County Fair, was a member
of Mackay’s Lion’s Club, was a member of American Legion Auxiliary and Poppy
Coordinator, created and contribute daily to the “MacKay, Idaho 83251 Blog” and
initiated putting Mackay’s families laid to rest in the Mount McCaleb Cemetery
into “Find a Grave” and organized Mt. McCaleb Cemetery names and identification
of veteran grave sites. She was
especially proud of her Mt. McCaleb Cemetery plot map that she created and used
to help people locate the graves of their loved ones.
Judy also created a blog about her illness, “jm’s Adventure
with Multiple Myeloma,” which was read by thousands of people in the U.S. and
around the world. Her daily updates were
graphic, medically thorough, often humorous, and filled with many many photos
that allowed her family, friends, health professionals and other’s who suffered
from Multiple Myeloma with endless information about this disease.
No remembrance of Judy would be complete without mention of
her love of photography. She documented
and recorded the beautiful Lost River Valley as well as friends and family and
her journey fighting high risk Multiple Myeloma. Judy felt strongly that the pictures could
document important elements of our life, from the mundane to historical facts
of life in rural America or the details of what life is like fighting Multiple
Myeloma so others could learn from her experience.
Judy is survived by her father Frank J. Malkiewicz, her
siblings Jeff (Carol) Malkiewicz and Jani (Robbyn Wacker) Malkiewicz, her
nephew Nicholas Malkiewicz, her Uncle and Aunt Walter and Hedwig Dynia,
numerous cousins and her beloved golden retriever Kemmer. She was preceded in death by her mother
Marjorie Christine Lundberg Malkiewicz and niece Lindsay Katherine Malkiewicz.
Graveside services will be held Saturday, September 28, 2013
at 1 p.m. at the Mt. McCaleb Cemetery in Mackay, Idaho.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the one of
Judy’s favorite charities, the Mackay Food Bank, c/o Otto Higbee, P.O. Box 133,
Mackay, Idaho 83251.
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