All stories have endings.
Judy Simmons passed away on August 9th, 2024.
As she wrote, “My life has been filled with laughter and tears, joy and sorrow, and it has been incredible.”
Judy has left us all with a legacy of more than 400 glimpses into that incredible life on the island of Bequia in the Caribbean.
While stories must have endings, the special ones stay in our minds and hearts forever.
Thank you for these, Judy.
💔💔💔💔💔💔
Oh no!!! What a shock to hear this. I am so very sorry she is no longer with you.
Dearest Rachel and Vanessa,
I’ve been sending love to you both since hearing of Judy’s passing last Friday.
The shock of it has brought on a flood of memories that haven’t stopped and hopefully never will.
We all shared the richest of days in Bequia, at Hope Beach and you girls coming to play with Max and Ian when time was so free and there for the taking.
Judy’s stories captured her life on Bequia like no other and each one a peek into a time one had to be there and fortunately we all were.
Thank you Judy.
How endearingly sad to read of Judy’s passing. She was the beginning of my love affair with Bequia in 2001. As a young widow looking for a safe Island in the Caribbean to discover, Judy and Nik embraced me, taking me under their wing, setting me up at Ira Bynoe’s Pattree, showing me how to enjoy Island life, and the special place called Mac’s. This January 2025 I will return once again to fill my heart with Bequia and it’s people. Sincere condolences to Vanessa, Rachel, and Nik. Sandy Domina
Thank you and Bless you, Judy! May God’s peace be with you and with your family and with all who cherish your blogs ~
Judy’s sudden passing is so sad. During her life she contributed so much to Bequia. Her Island Life Stories leave such a wonderful legacy. They brought me much pleasure. I looked forward to reading them every week. She will be missed so very much!
I have been enthralled with Judy’s tales of Bequia for many years. In fact, I kept encouraging her to turn them into a book which I thought could certainly rival Don’t Stop the Carnival.
Thanks for such an entertaining and insightful narrative of life on Bequia. But, more importantly, for being my friend over these many years. Rest in peace❤️
She will be remembered and missed. Sincere condolences to her family.
So sorry to hear about your mom’s passing. She was a true friend to me and Joni during our years on Bequia, as were your wonderful grandparents. They will live on in our memories.
Such a loss! Condolences to Nik, and Vanessa, Rachel and their families. I am so grateful for all of Judy’s wonderful stories. They bring back warm memories of Bequia.
Dearest Judy,
You will be missed by so many of us for your stories, your advice, your sharp wit, your utterly delcious kitchen creations and all those memorable sunsets on the porch. Thank you for being such a special and beloved friend. Your loss has torn a huge hole in the fabric of Bequia as well as in our hearts.
Loved the stories.
Thankyou RIP
Michael Lindsay
I’m so sorry to hear about Judy’s passing. I was so close to contacting her to say how much pleasure her posts gave me, and how they also brought back so many great memories. I arrived in Bequia in 1979 having sailed from San Fransisco with Bequia as our destination port! I was on a 40′ sailboat called Gay Pandora, sailing with Natasha, often just the 2 of us. I stayed on Bequia for 18 months, later Gay Pandora ended up a wreck on the beach or as Nolly out it “Vic, you have your own dock!” when I visited in 2002.
I was there for water Pearls build and launch, and some great jump ups down on Lower Bay, and tasty ‘wraps’ that Judy sold at the Pizzeria. I’ve got a lot of photos and happy memories, Natasha is still a good friend.
I also helped build and sail on the Atlantic Clipper a sailing cargo vessel, built in the UK, and trading trans Atlantic and then inter-Island. It’s been so good to reconnect after all these years with old acquaintances via Judy’s stories.
Grateful Love to you Vanessa and your Family
Vic
Dear Victoria, my name is Debbie and I remember you, Natasha and a few good parties aboard the beautiful red, ‘Gay Pandora’. I first arrived in Bequia around 1979 where I joined the “Pride of Balitmore’ for a couple of months, before joining Stevens Yachts and many happy charters through the Grenadines. I discovered Judy’s blog about a year ago and have enjoyed so many of them, bringing back lots of wonderful memories and familiar names, like it was yesterday, so vivid. I too was close to contacting her and saying how much I appreciated her stories and all the early days at the Pizzaria, the amazing bread and keeping the yogurt culture alive. I guess you could say I missed the boat and should have wrote to her sooner and feel very saddened. I remember sailing back into Bequia a couple of years after the death of Mac. I think I was afraid to go to the Pizzaria then, and hoped that Judy had coped and healed. I was so relieved to read in her blog that she found someone else to share her life with. I now reside in Vero Beach, Florida, and think back to the idyllic days in Port Elizabeth. We were so lucky to know Bequia as it was all those years ago and all the colorful characters.
Rest in Peace Judy, love to Vaness and family
Debbie Page
Dear Vanessa and Rachel,
just randomly I was surfing the internet and got stuck on your mothers stories…
My name is Anne (from Germany) and I started Dive Bequia in 1984 with Bob Sachs when I also met your mum and dad first time
We were good friends and I loved the pizzeria, the jump ups, the diving, the playing backgammon and so much more …
Judy gave me a home when I urgently needed accommodation for a short time…
She was a wonderful friend!
I left Bequia in 1988 and came back in 2005 for a short diving holiday.
There I heard about the horrible accident of Mac.
The more I was happy to read that Judy got married again to a German guy.
And now the very sad news that she passed away …
I feel with you and wish you strength.
Judy (and Mac) will always remain in my heart and memories.
Take care.
xxx Anne
I was truly saddened to hear of Judy’s passing. I’ve always enjoyed reading her stories about life in Bequia—they brought back such fond memories of my own childhood there.