Murder in Woodstock

Dream Maker

According to a statement he later read in court, Jon Baker, Judy Nilan's incredibly strong, dedicated husband, said that in 1992 Judy "received a national leadership award that would provide her the financial means to achieve" what was one of her life-long goals: a Master's Degree in social work. "This was remarkable," Jon added that day in court, "in light of the fact that among her siblings, who have their own significant careers, Judy was the only one to achieve a Bachelor's degree, never mind a Master's."

And this one accomplishment spoke to how devoted Judy was to realizing her dreams, along with the benefits of setting goals and achieving them. She was a doer. If Judy wanted something out of life, she went for it and worked at getting it—whether remodeling her house herself or opening a child daycare business. There was nothing she couldn't do.

Still, despite all of her vocational and academic success, there was nothing in Judy's life more important to her, said Jon Baker, than, "I am happy to [tell this court] ... none of these accomplishments would ever come to mean as much to her as our love, our children, and the home and family that we created."

A student of Judy's later wrote an essay about her as part of a school project, explaining how she was "much more than ... [a teacher, social worker] to many of my fellow students." Judy was known throughout the school as a "friend" and "advisee," beyond all else. She had a knack for being able to reach kids on their level. "She was willing to share things about herself that you wouldn't expect from a teacher."

Judy had a friend from New Orleans. When some of the students put together a proposal for a can drive to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, Judy applauded them, encouraging each one involved to see it through, "prais[ing] us for our great planning ..." that same student wrote. Working behind the scenes of the fund raiser, added that student, showed her how dedicated Judy was to the things she believed in. Judy worked hard, often when the work provide little in the form of praise or notoriety.

It was through watching Judy Nilan and her unbelievable gift of giving, that same student went onto explain, that inspired her to put serious consideration into perhaps choosing social work "as a future career."