My mom, Judie Coleman (Bandur), passed peacefully the morning of May 18, 2026. Please help me pay for her end of life expenses. She was a loving, funny, and generous woman. I would really appreciate any help to make sure she’s laid to rest comfortably in a peaceful manner. 

Services will be 2 pm on Sunday 5/24 at Renew Church 117 N. Cass Ave Westmont, Il. Light refreshments and an opportunity to share memories to follow.

In 2025, Judie was diagnosed with lung cancer. After a course of radiation worked, she was cancer free. Unfortunately, in 2026 was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was set to start chemotherapy in May, but by then it had spread into her lymph nodes and liver.

Born on All Soul's Day (Nov. 2, 1956), she was the oldest daughter, fourth child of Mitchell (Mike) & Mary Bandur. The family folklore is that after 3 sons, my grandma wanted a daughter. She prayed to St. Jude the patron saint of desperate situations at his shrine in Pilsen and was gifted my mother, Judie Catherine.

Music was a big deal in our house growing up. From Beatles' cds to Donna Summer's On the Radio to Dick Biondi on Oldies 104.3, the black boombox in our kitchen was always on. We liked to joke that she took me to my first concert when she saw Van Morrison live while carrying me. We would jump around and sing “Ain't No Mountain High Enough” when we'd catch it on the radio. She always said it was her favorite song.

My mom loved sitting around talking to her friends and family. She loved catching up, joking, debating, discussing, analyzing this or that. It was her example of the friends she made everywhere that showed me how I wanted to build my life caring for and being cared by friends. It was also in these spaces that she really taught me that more than one thing can be true at once. This helped me develop my strong political beliefs that our liberation is bound to one another’s.

My mother did the best she could with what she had. Maybe sometimes I needed more than that, but in the end, we were good to each other. The last decade of her life was really hard to navigate. She faced housing insecurity, financial insecurity, difficulty accessing healthcare, but she never stopped trying to take care of herself and her family around her.

She would probably hate that I made this fundraiser, and that I'm telling you all this. But I need it. I need help figuring this out and I need to share stories and memories about her. Please share your memories, stories, & photos of her with me. She was such a cool lady and I'll love to know her more.