Judith Skalla

On May 11, 1939, in the high mountain town of Telluride, Colorado, Judith Ann Oliver took her first breath. On April 27, 2025, she took her last, leaving this world quietly, just as she had lived — with grace, dignity, and love. Six months earlier, her beloved Dean had gone ahead of her. Today, we trust that they are together once more, their hands clasped, their journey continuing.

A love story for the ages began on a dusty road in Norwood, Colorado, where a 4-H calf at her side and the sun in her hair, Judy caught the eye of a shy boy a grade ahead. Mustering all his courage, he asked her to prom. From that small, simple moment, a life together would be built, a family of five kids, 20 grandkids, and 26.5 great-grandkids (and counting). Two high school sweethearts from the sticks would see the world, impact it, and touch far more lives than young Judy could have ever known.

Their fairy tale together continued in a small mobile home in Wyoming where Dean had just started working road construction. Five kids came in six years, so the family splurged and upgraded to a bigger single-wide trailer. They didn’t quite make it to the Laramie hospital with baby #5, so Judy delivered her daughter in a station wagon on the side of the highway.

Judy’s mind was as vibrant as her heart was steadfast. She earned her degree in English and a minor in Journalism from Colorado State University. With Dean building roads and Judy laying the foundation of a different sort, the superintendent of a local school district was so eager for Judy to teach English and French to the freshmen class, he convinced his wife to watch Judy’s two little boys the whole school year. She delivered her third boy on the last day of school. Her positivity made a lasting impression on her students.

But Judy never really stopped teaching. She taught through her example: how to work hard, how to advocate for what’s right, how to build a community, and always see the best in others. Whether raising five kids, helping recall a mayor in Omaha, leading jump rope teams at her church, or crafting magical gingerbread and nativity displays for the community, Judy quietly shaped the world around her. Later, she served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, bringing her warmth and wisdom to the public relations department in Salt Lake City.

Judy wanted to see the world, while Dean wanted to see the rest of Wyoming. They compromised. She studied a semester in Jerusalem while Dean pursued management studies at Stanford. And together, after retirement, they wandered to places like Thailand, China, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico, Panama, the British Isles, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Antarctica. Then, back to Sheridan, Wyoming for a recent family reunion.

Judy’s greatest legacy is not found in her travels or any one achievement, but in the lives she shaped; her kids, Randy (Julie), Mike (Shannon), Bart (Natalie), Pete (Julie), and Carol; her 20 grandkids; her 26.5 great-grandkids; and the many others blessed to know her kindness, her fierce love, and her enduring faith.

Funeral services will be held at the Highland 8th Ward chapel, 10390 N Alpine Highway, Highland, Utah, on May 15, 2025 at 11:00 AM, with a Zoom broadcast available for those unable to attend in person.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation of $8 to the Dean & Judy Skalla Memorial Scholarship Fund at Ridgway Schools. (1115 W. Clinton St., Attn: District Office, Ridgway, CO 81432)

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