Judi Greene died unexpectedly last weekend. She was Bishop Chane’s verger and liturgical assistant, and had worked in a number of parishes in our diocese. She also had many friends at the National Cathedral.
Here is some of what Washington Times columnist Adrienne Washington had to say:
“Judi,” as she was known to those fortunate to come into contact with her quick tongue, wit and infectious laughter, suffered a heart attack in her Northwest home Friday. She had turned 62 this month.
“Judi was a daughter of Washington,” D.C. Council Chairman Linda W. Cropp said during the presentation of a council proclamation honoring her neighbor.
Note that the standing-room-only congregation had as many white clerical collars as the Virginia Theological Seminary’s cafeteria at lunchtime.
Mrs. Cropp recalled that when her family moved to the District, Judi “came across the street and brought rolls and gossip and we became fast friends.”
Bishop Chane called her “a pistol of a woman” — all 4 feet 10 inches of her.
But no one ever dared mistake her size for her stature.
“We all have Judi stories,” said Bishop Chane, noting that he spent more time with her than anyone else, save his wife.
During a solemn occasion when they were walking out of the Washington National Cathedral, he said, Judi stopped and reached over to Bishop Chane’s wife and put the couple’s hands together. That move raised some eyebrows.
“Hey, you didn’t get here by yourself,” he recalled her saying.
Click the “keep reading” button to read the eulogy offered by the Rev. Susan S. Keller of St. Mary Magdalene Church in Wheaton at Judi’s funeral on Wednesday at St. Luke’s in D. C.
A Thank You God for Judi Greene.
Hanging on the wall near my vestments is a sign about the birth of Jesus. It says ( in part) if the 3 MAGI had been women: they would have cleaned the stable, made dinner and gotten there on time.
The first time Judi saw it she gave that big smile of hers, stood up taller and said “Oh yeah”.
She saw that sign when she came to work for me as part time parish administrator at St. Mary Magdalene. What began as a consult, rolled into helping us get our house in order : our office, our vestry and of course our liturgy.
It all began when she read in Church house news that we were looking for a new P/T parish administrator. She called me last October and said four simple words: How can I help you?
These four simple words reflect her heart of servanthood. I say servanthood, but not submissive. Through these many months I was pleased to know her heart of servanthood, her shining soul committed to caring, survival and wholeness of congregations. But this was not for the buildings, bricks and mortar. Her caring was for people, men, women, children – from her bright smile, and her greeting our staff in Spanish ( and carrying on conversations that made everyone smile) and even to her being a coffee fiend like me.
She could pull out a resource that you didn’t know you needed and go that extra step to help. And then (of course) push you that extra step yourself – all to do what God calls you to do, to do what your faith in Jesus calls you to do.
Our last conversations were about usual things: the latest inspiration email she had sent, her collection of crosses strung about her neck on one chain, her shopping at Chico’s with gift cards from friend ( she really loved that!), how I need to slow down and of course liturgy. There are some trial liturgies in circulation, and we both thought they had no inspirational depth. And of course she said Oh No… she would not stand for liturgical foolishness!
Her gift to me was a woman passionate about people being the best they can, passionate about a faithful life to Jesus and of course her zing for liturgy. Thank you Judi. Thank you God.
In fact right now, I have no doubt, she is telling the angels and archangels, the seraphim and cherubim just exactly where to stand next to the throne of God.
“I lift my eyes to the hills. And where is my help to come”