Judy Dopieralski

Although she was known for her outstanding work ethic, Judith Dopieralski will be remembered first and foremost for her unending love for her family. She was a devoted wife and mother if ever there was one, but she just may have argued that becoming a grandmother was her greatest gift. As her friends and family can attest, Judy could talk, talk, and talk, and her fun, bubbly, and goofy personality made her the sort of person whom everyone wanted to be around. When reflecting on Judy’s life we are reminded that the best things in life aren’t things, but that it is in the love we share with those around us that we are richly blessed.

With the end of WWII in 1945, America was enjoying being a nation at peace once again as the year 1947 dawned. Rationing had become a thing of the past, and manufacturing was no longer focused on supporting the war effort. This same year was greeted with great anticipation for Stanley and Florence (Kidwell) Nielsen as they were awaiting the birth of their new baby. The big day arrived on February 6th when the baby girl they named Judith A. made her grand entrance. She was the second of five children in her family and was raised among farms in Bloomingdale, Michigan, alongside her siblings, Stanley “Bob,” Kenneth, Jerry, and Fern. Judy’s father worked for the Van Buren County Road Commission and was an extremely hard worker while her mother was a busy homemaker.

From her earliest years Judy was one to work hard. Being raised around farms meant that she helped bale hay and fell in love with horses from a young age. The neighborhood girls all loved horses, too, and horses quickly became Judy’s passion. She was a student at Bloomingdale Schools but left school before her senior year. Judy pursued her GED for a time although she didn’t complete her studies.

New and exciting changes were in store for Judy when she met the young man of her dreams. His name was Ron Dopieralski, and although he went to Paw Paw they ended up in the same group of friends who often hung out. Ron was so smitten watching her detassel some corn that he sat and watched in his cool car - a ’48 Ford. With a desire to share their lives together the sweethearts were married on January 30, 1965, in St. Mary’s Church in Paw Paw with a reception at the little schoolhouse in Bloomingdale.

Judy and Ron started their family right away with the birth of their son, Ronald. Their family was later completed with the birth of their daughter, Terrie. In 1971 their bustling family moved to the farm Ron’s parents had, and this was the place Judy called home for the rest of her life. They built a small home back off the highway after the 1980 tornado, and they later split the land so that their son and daughter could live next to them.

Throughout her life Judy worked hard. While growing up she worked in the local fields and apple orchards, and as a young woman she started off working in a greenhouse as well as working as a waitress at Ruby’s in Allegan. When her children were in school Judy was a school bus driver in Bloomingdale, and she took her job seriously, too, as she was known to throw things at cars that put the kids on her bus in danger! In 1993 she had her own greenhouse filled with herbs and flowers, which was work she loved. Judy was successful, too, as she had a place right alongside the road next to her husband’s body shop. She also did crafts of all kinds including paintings and afghans. Judy did well selling what she made, but she later had to give it up when her lupus became more prominent. Her work ethic was truly unmatched as she worked from sunup to sundown. Judy poked fun at herself, calling herself a “master of none” as she could accomplish most anything she put her mind to.

Even at home Judy was never one to be still. She could often be found out cutting, loading, and stacking wood, and according to Ron no one could stack wood like she could. Judy was usually wearing clothes she could work in, but when she did get dressed up she still had dirt under her nails. Judy was too busy to spend much time in the kitchen, but she did make a few family favorites like Uncle Frank’s dumplings and her famous chocolate chip cookies. She absolutely loved the holidays and went over and above on making them special. Judy had a lifelong dream of going to the Kentucky Derby, and it was a big event every year when they watched it at home - complete with the hats, too.

Judy was a woman of many interests. She would journal everything she did and said every single day, leaving nothing out, and in 2008 she helped her granddaughter with some genealogy, which quickly became her passion. Judy had records and records of family history and even took vacations to visit cemeteries and various county clerk offices. She successfully traced her family all the way back to the 1600s complete with 6,000 pages of names, dates, marriages, and births. Also in 2008 Judy became involved in mini horses with “Little Bit” and two years later “Mr. Bit.” She and her best friend, Eleanor loved spending time together playing the penny slots all day at the casino. Judy liked camping on their property in Baldwin where she hunted, fished, and even helped with the tacking and dressing. There was nothing better than breakfast over the campfire, although crab legs were a close second. Milwaukee’s Best beer was her brand of choice, but she would drink anything that was put in front of her.

Later in life Judy was filled with unspeakable joy to welcome grandchildren into the family. She was an important part of their lives and was there to support them in whatever they did. Judy loved spoiling her grandchildren, even if it meant that she went without.

Genuine, caring, and loving, Judy Dopieralski was a blessing to those around her. She helped raise her grandchildren and helped anyone else in need, and she even acquired quite a gathering of stray cats as well. Judy was a bargain hunter who never bought anything unless it was on sale no matter what it was. She was direct and to the point when she talked, without a filter, too, and she never met a stranger. First and foremost in Judy’s life was her family, and it was easy to see that her grandchildren were the light of her life. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered by all who knew her.

Judith A. Dopieralski, of Paw Paw, died July 31, 2014, at her home. Judy’s family includes her husband, Ronald Dopieralski; 2 children: Ronald Dopieralski, Jr. and Terrie (Randy) Simpkins; grandchildren: Tiffany (Shane) Kline, Tammy Rindfield, Tracy and Toney Simpkins, Jessica Lopez, Kimberly Stoll, and Pam Mann; 3 great-grandchildren: Avery Kline, Kane and Zoie Schipono; 4 siblings: Stanley “Bob” (Karen) Nielsen, Kenneth (Jane) Nielsen, Jerry Nielsen, and Fern (Roger) Brown; half-brother, Terry Koeman; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. A “Derby” themed services will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, August 2, 2014, at the Life Story Funeral Homes, Betzler & Thompson– Paw Paw; 60900 M-40. Burial at Glendale Cemetery, Waverly Township. A party will follow at the family home. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com, where you can archive a favorite memory or photo of her and sign her online guestbook. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice Care of SouthWest Michigan.