Judith T. Liebman

Judith Liebman died April 25, 2022 in West Hartford, Connecticut, following a long, determined, and improbable fight against pancreatic cancer. She was preceded in death by her husband, Chuck Hyman, in February 2022. She’s survived by her sons Jake Hyman and Max Reiss, her grandchildren Eli and Sydney, daughters in law Vanessa and Kelley, and her three sisters Beth, Ruth and Janet. She was born in New York City on July 21, 1945, and would go on to forge some of the strongest friendships, while leading an exciting, diverse, and fulfilling life. Throughout her life, Judith had a trademark: her beautiful, thick, red, curly head of hair. It was her defining physical characteristic which paired perfectly with a sitcom quality New York dialect, her room-filling laugh, strong opinions, and electric personality whichmade herstandout at every moment. She was the third of four strong-willed and determined young women who were born to Jesse and Shirley Liebman in New York City. They raised four girls who were well ahead of their time. They lived in Brooklyn, and then Mount Vernon, New York. Judith would speak of visits to Ebbets Field with her father, and her independence as a child to walk into Fleetwood was envied by her friends and extended family. Independence and determination were common traits among the sisters, and that was true of Judith. Judith completed an undergraduate degree from American University where she hosted a radio show, “The Queen’s Carousel.” She’d move back to New York City for a brief period, and later spend several years in Dallas, Texas with her first husband, Joel. Following their divorce, Judith returned to New York City where she quickly climbed the ranks of the New York marketing and advertising world. She was hard wired for life and work in the Big Apple. Judith loved the pace, the energy, the pressure, and culture. She would wear fabulous outfits to the office, which would be followed by corporate lunches. Judith would complete her MBA at Fordham University and eventually became a Vice President at Wunderman, working on international campaigns for various clients. When she met Chuck in 1977, she was already well on her way to professional success, and Chuck swept her off her feet. They were introduced by a mutual friend and were inseparable for the rest of their lives together. They married in 1980 in Judith’s mother’s backyard in Harrison, NY and started their journey together. Chuck would shower Judith with love and support for 41 years before his sudden passing earlier this year. The journey added a passenger when their son Jake was born in 1983. Judith always wanted to be the mother of boys, saying for years she never thought she would have been as effective a mother to daughters. In the years that followed, Judith would give Chuck the illusion of choice when it came to expanding their family, saying, “Chuck thought he had a say in the matter, but he really didn’t.” In 1986, Max was born, completing their family of four. Some of her brightest smiles came when both of her sons became Bar Mitzvahs. Shortly after they became a family of four, Judith wanted to focus her time and attention on her boys. She turned in her corporate life and significantly higher salary than Chuck’s to become a full-time mom. Judith’s patience only lasted a few years, when she enrolled at Queens College for her secondmaster’sprogram, this time in information science, as she pursued her next dream of becoming a librarian. Judith would then start her second professional act as a librarian with the Mount Vernon Public Library, Columbia University, and then two decades at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry and the Bronx. This allowed her to have a more flexible schedule, which led to picking up Max from school regularly and bringing him back to the library on school days. Judith was like a celebrity mom in the neighborhood in Mount Vernon. She was the captain and played first basemen of a softball team,“The Young and the Restless,” filledwith fellow moms in bedazzled pink hats. Mom duties always came first. She ran off the field when her son Max fell from the top of the dugout and he required stitches. She was a fighter in all facets of her life, especially when it came to her son Jake. Jake required educational interventions and programs for his developmentthatwere unique for the time. Judith fought the Mount Vernon Board of Education for years to ensure her oldest son’s civil rights were protected. Her resolve and determination led to a victory, putting her son on a path to success. Judith and Jake shared closeness which enriched both of their lives. Judith would be involved in all kinds of events and planning was her forte. She’d help plan neighborhood trick or treating outings, block parties, and tag sales. She served on the board of her synagogue, and played an active role in the local PTA. Jake and Max’s events took priority in the house. Whether it was a sporting event, a milestone, or a meeting, Judith would ensure her attendance was guaranteed. Judith and Chuck represented a marriage filled with sacrifice for one another, while simultaneously showing what a true partnership looked like. As the years went on, Judith faced significant health struggles, but she fought in ways no physician thought possible. Over the course of two decades she fought breast cancer, skin cancer, and in her final act, a legendarybattle withpancreatic cancer. In 2017, she wasn’t given much time to liveuntila Whipple procedure would extend her life by five years. In 2020 sheovercameboth viral meningitis and COVID-19. In her final years, Judith spent her time on the phone with some of her closest friends, always checking in and filling in everyone who would listen about the lives of her children and grandchildren. She would drive with Chuck almost every weekend to Connecticut to see their two beloved grandchildren, twins Eli and Sydney. “Grandma Tudy”,” as she was known, would chase the kids around the house, play bingo, and enjoyfallapple picking trips with them. In her final months, she would watch the kids play soccer, and she loved attending Sydney’s gymnastics classes. Grandma Tudy was a beloved figure during every chapter of her life. The sudden loss of her husband Chuck proved to be one of the most difficult struggles she would ever face, but eventually a life without her “Chucky,” was in fact no life at all. She fought valiantly for years, providing an example of toughness and strength for her children and grandchildren, and she will be missed by everyone who ever entered her orbit. 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