Letter: Judi Staven was much more than a friend to me

Posted 11/15/17

This letter was written in response to the recent death of Judi Staven, a former member of the Portsmouth Town Council.

To the editor:

Judi was more than a friend. She was a confidante, a …

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Letter: Judi Staven was much more than a friend to me

Posted

This letter was written in response to the recent death of Judi Staven, a former member of the Portsmouth Town Council.

To the editor:

Judi was more than a friend. She was a confidante, a nanny, a gardener, a pool girl, secretary and an administrative assistant for me and my husband. She lived with Bruce Medley for six years. At first, i was skeptical but I realized she was no threat. We had many, many laughs and quite a few fights. Judi fought with everyone.

Judi never had a Christmas tree and was not religious. With reservations, I let her take a small pine sapling from my pool yard six years ago. Now it is three feet high. My son Nick helped me dig it up on Wednesday. It is in a pot with very few lights on it and a single Christmas bulb secured, not with an ornament hook but a strand from a corn husk that I grew in my garden.

Please come to my house and visit her tree. Bring presents for the kids at Boys Town — pens, pencils, boots, sneakers, nylons, socks, mittens and gloves. I was a bus monitor last winter and these kids have nothing. I cried and gave one girl a pair of boots owned by my youngest daughter. I plan to foster her and her two sisters.

I had meant to ask Judi if I could take the tree because her yard will be under construction when National Grid puts in the new metal towers. Remember, talk to your friends often because you never know what the future brings. It could be your last day on earth, or theirs. 

Today would have been my husband’s 65th birthday. He always told me he and Judi were soul mates. Now, they truly are.

Erica Greene Medley

300 West Main Road

Portsmouth

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