"If a book is well written,

I always find it too short." — Jane Austen

As a librarian for 43 years, our mother prized books filled with love, adventure and drama, but she always insisted on a happy ending. With hearts full of both sorrow and gratitude, we announce the loss of our beloved mother, Judy Sidnam, at the age of 89 in April 2026 in Denver, Colorado. The final chapter of her book culminated in a courageous battle with cancer and then a triumphant trip to heaven. Mom’s light may have dimmed on earth, but she blazes in our hearts and in Heaven.

The chapters of her story filled with adventure when she met and then married her late husband of 59 years in 1957. Bill and Judy created three children (total characters) and worked together on 3000 weekly and monthly garden columns for the Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, San Diego Union-Tribune and The Riverside Press-Enterprise over 36 years. He wrote the articles and she took all the photographs. They particularly loved traveling throughout the West Coast to famous gardens and wineries for articles.

Her lifelong passion for books grew as she started out reading to children at Story Time and then rose to Head of Automation and Circulation Services at the Santa Ana Public Library. And her story even included some royal drama and a few presidential visits, when she discovered through her genealogy research that she was the great, great (plus a bunch of additional “greats”) granddaughter of King and Emperor Charlemagne and also found six U.S. Presidents in our family tree—like buried treasure.

Finally, as in all the best stories, hers was filled with family, friends and love. As the hero of our story, she was a loving, kind and devoted daughter, wife, mother, grandmother and friend. Judy is survived by her three children—Liz Sidnam, Dave Sidnam (and wife Cindy) and Roberta Carl (and husband Brett)—as well as six grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Judy lived in Orange County, CA, until 1998, when she relocated to Auburn, CA. She will be buried next to her husband and parents in Fairhaven Memorial Cemetery in Santa Ana, CA. In place of flowers or donations, please remember her kindness and pass it on.