2024 Honoree: Judy Holder
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Sisterly quilting: Norma Wagner and Judy Holder
This year, the Mary Diaz & William Copeland Jr. Memorial Tennis Tournament honors the life of Judy Holder. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on March 5, 2021, her motto is “A good attitude won’t cure cancer, but a bad one might make it worse.” These are words to live by, as Judy is already making plans far beyond her 82nd birthday next May.
Judy is the oldest sister of Norma Wagner, a tournament regular. "Norma has been a close friend of the Diaz family for 35 years. She has also been a tremendous supporter of our event since it started in 2005. In addition to being a loyal donor and volunteer, Norma and her husband Chris are regular participants in PanCAN's Purple Stride. Norma is truly a champion for those affected by pancreatic cancer," said Phil Diaz, tournament founder.
Born in Youngstown, Judy now lives in Akron with her spouse of 61 years, Bill. “I met him as a teenager. Who knew I would hit the husband jackpot. He can cook. He fusses over me. I am lucky,” she marveled. Trained as a nurse, together, they raised three daughters, Susan, Deborah and Pam. Their family remains close-knit, with several of Judy’s six grandchildren living close by.
Every other week, Judy travels to the Tausig Cancer Center at the Cleveland Clinic for treatment. She raves about Dr. Alok Khorana, the nurses, and social workers. When Dr. Khorana first shared her diagnosis, she welcomed his approach of not discussing cancer statistics and stages. Now, after 70+ rounds of chemotherapy, she knows the staff well. “When you hear ‘cancer center,’ you think it will be a depressing place. But I’ve never come out of there feeling bad. I’m so grateful for them.” At Christmas, Judy distributed homemade ornaments to 90 of the staff, yet another community she has forged.
Sewing and quilting are Judy’s passions and she got Norma involved by gifting her some quilting classes. Now, the sisters attend quilting retreats together. Being 15 years apart, Norma treasures these “girl trips,” as they didn’t overlap for long in their childhood home. They share a room and stay up late talking. Norma admires Judy’s artistry—the precision and focus it takes to create something so beautiful. Judy jokes that at the most recent quilt camp they attended, “my pancreas got a standing ovation,” when she told fellow quilt guild members she’s still going strong.
Judy takes great comfort in her Catholic faith and the power of prayer. She enjoys visits with her parish priest and watches weekly mass on her computer. In September of 2023, Judy, Bill and two of their daughters took a “trip of a lifetime” to Italy. While in Rome, they saw Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square. “I offered a blessing to him, and he pointed towards me, smiled, and gave a thumbs up,” she recalled.
Judy is already knee deep in fundraising ideas for the 2025 Purple Stride event. “I ignore negativity, take the good and leave the rest. My life philosophy is to err on the side of kindness,” Judy reflected. “My amazing sister,” Norma observed “is forever looking forward.”