By BRIDGET COOK
JUDITH Barlow will forever be remembered as a woman who lived life to the fullest, loved her family more than anything and who fought a courageous battle right until the end.
The well-known Tooradin woman sadly lost her fight against cancer on Tuesday 18 March, aged 68, after a hard three year battle.
But as hundreds of mourners packed Bunurong Memorial Park to say their final goodbyes last week, the focus was on her years before that as they celebrated her life.
Ms Barlow, affectionately known as Jude, was born at the Glenhuntly hospital on the 23 May 1945 to Eric and Gladys Billingham.
She had one sibling, her brother Gordon.
Jude grew up in that area and did her secondary education at Brighton high which led her to become a stenographer with the government.
She met her husband Terry Barlow at the Mentone Police Boys Dance in January 1959 and five years later they married on 17 October 1964 at St Pauls in Bentleigh.
It wasn’t before long that they had their three children, Anne, Steven and Kerri.
The couple moved around a bit in the early years of their marriage to Noble Park, Five Ways and Yannathan, before settling in Tooradin about 30 years ago when Terry purchased the butcher’s shop.
The Barlows stayed in Tooradin ever since, apart from the past few years where they spent a lot of time in Tocumwal, and got involved in the local community.
Jude was a member of the Devon Meadows school committee, a foundation member of the Tooradin and District Sporting Committee, served as secretary of the West Gippsland Netball Association, was a member of the Tooradin Netball Club and helped with the football club canteen and she volunteered with the local Meals on Wheels.
Terry prepared a tribute to his wife which was read out at the funeral by close family friend Simon Marshall.
He said he prepared it while sitting in his car on the foreshore in Tooradin as the sun went down, listening to Neil Diamond, something Jude had barred him from ever playing again because she had had enough if his music after many concerts and listening to it so much.
Terry reflected on his 55 years of marriage with Jude and their “amazing ride”.
“We enjoyed all the highs and rode the many bumps that popped up along the way,” he said.
“We worked bloody hard, played bloody harder, watching and supporting the kids all the way to where they are now.
“Jude was so proud to be not only their mother but, more importantly, their best friend.
“Jude lived her life to the fullest, she loved her luncheons with all the girls down here and it took her no time at all to find a group of girls with the same interests at Tocumwal.”
Her family and friends spoke of her love of sport, with her trying her hand at tennis, 10 pin bowling, squash and particualry golf over the years.
She was also an avid Bombers supporter and as a teenager never missed a game with her friend Annette.
But her biggest love was her family, her three children and her grandchildren, Ryan, Zoe, Ainsley, Zac and Kelsea.
Terry said she also had many great friends and thoroughly enjoyed a party, dining out, lunches with the girls, music, dancing, reading, musicals, playing the pokies and talking on the phone.
Terry took the opportunity to thank all those who had a great impact in Jude’s life.
“On our way through life together, through our many businesses, schools, golf clubs and Tooradin Football Club, we have met and made friends with so many great people, with some friendships that go back as far as 50 years,” he said.
“If you were a friend of Jude’s you were a true friend for life.
“So, my love, you leave us broken hearted, you will never be forgotten.
“Rest in peace with your god and his angels, no more pain.”
