JUDITH DIANE COPE

COPE--Judith Diane. age 60, passed away at her home in Woodcliff Lake, NJ on September 18 after a valiant 20 month battle with brain cancer. Judy was Executive Director of The Elizabeth and Michel Sorel Charitable Organization, dedicated to creating opportunities for women in composition, conducting, piano, voice, and film scoring. She worked tirelessly and passionately to expand the boundaries for women in music, and in doing so, influenced many careers and touched countless hearts. Born on December 27, 1958 in Neosho, MO, she graduated from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, KS with a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice. She continued her studies at the Juilliard School in New York City as a student of Beverley Peck Johnson. A gifted soprano, Judy was a member of the American Guild of Musical Artists, and she performed for decades with a number of elite professional choral ensembles in New York City, including Voices of Ascension, Musica Sacra, the Bard Festival Chorus, and New York Choral Artists with the New York Philharmonic. Judy is survived by her beloved husband, Gary Rasmussen; son, Alexander Preston Rasmussen; father, Stanley Cope; her extended family and so many dear friends. Her mother, Alice Cope, and brother, Steven Cope, predeceased her in 2011. A celebration of Judy's life will take place on Thursday, October 10 at the Church of the Ascension in New York City at 7pm, with prelude music beginning at 6:40pm. A reception will follow in the Ascension Parish Hall. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to The Sorel Organization's Judy Cope Fund for Women in Music (SorelMusic.org), to Voices of Ascension, or to the Church of the Ascension, where Judy was a devoted member of the choir for over thirty years.