Beggs (Pierson), Judith A
December 6, 1940 - November 6, 2020
Judith Ann Beggs - Marvelous Mom (MM), Judy, Diodio (Jojo) - was born a girl in a boy's world. As a smart and ambitious young woman, she was constantly frustrated by sexism, but she also was of the generation of women shattering barriers. Denied admission to Hospital Administration school because she was a woman, she went to Law School instead, starting just months after her daughter was born. The practice of Law turned out to be the perfect pry bar to open the doors of her life and of lives across the world.
Not content to just DO a thing, Judy wanted to introduce it to everyone she knew. She was a consummate inviter and orchestrator.
She was born in Russell, Kansas to Elsie Bradshaw and Philip Hamilton Beggs. She was the oldest of three sisters: Mary (Bill) Ritterhouse (both preceded her in death) and Phyllis (Doc) Bieker. The family moved to Rayville Louisiana during her high school years where she learned to "apple-polish and date two boys at once". She is a graduate of the College at Northwestern State College of Louisiana (Now Northwestern State University of Louisiana) in Natchitoches, LA where she earned a degree in Business.
After college, she and best friend Barbara Juneau (who also preceded her in death) moved to Denver where she met and married Eric Pierson, who coincidentally was born in Natchitoches and threw his father's tools in the lake Judy would later sit by to study. Judy and Eric divorced after 20 years of marriage but remained friends until her final day when Judy beat him again at Rummikub.
In her 30s, Judy became a Mother to Nicolette Suzanne Pierson (Jim) Richardson and a Lawyer (University of Denver). She led the girl scouts and made sure adventure was part of life. She worked from home writing unique estate plans and helping women find their bearings after divorce. She never baked cookies; in fact she wasn't a cook at all.
In her 40s, Judy discovered the outdoors. She loved pushing her limiting beliefs about her capabilities through backpacking, discovering magical Utah, starting a tour company, teaching climbing, and boating with the raft Eric brought home one day.
In her 50s, when her daughter left for college, having always wanted to work internationally, Judy left for a life-changing two-year Peace Corps tour in Gueoul, Senegal, West Africa.
Upon return to Denver, she formed a musical duo with John Montaña (who would later become the co-founder of Friends of Guéoul). She returned to the practice of law, joined the Board of Swallow Hill Music Association and was instrumental in securing the purchase of their new location on Yale and Broadway. She began canoeing, and true to Judy-form, began creating musical-themed river trips which she would market and lead. Sometime in this period, she was invited to be an International Election Monitor in Bosnia after their Civil War. She passed up a long-awaited Grand Canyon rafting permit to do this interesting and important work.
Through extreme tenacity and serendipity, she brought a hard-working and talented boy from Senegal to Englewood who received and embraced his opportunity for education, became a seamless part of a loving Colorado family and found an exceptional wife who helped him complete the circle back to Senegal.
In 2005, Judy and John got it in their mind that they could help keep girls in school in Guéoul, opening doors to them and their families through education. Friends of Guéoul was formed. She spent the rest of her life traveling back and forth to Guéoul and inviting everyone in her path to "come play" with her there. Many did! In 2017, the people of Guéoul presented her with a key to the town and a road headed toward the University being built there is named Judy Beggs Boulevard. Her relentless determination and vision helped make this possible.
Judy Beggs had ambition and dreamed of a bigger world, and that's what she got. She wanted you to dream bigger for yourself. And if you didn't do it for yourself, she'd do it for you! She once said, "Don't worry about me when I get knocked down. I always get back up." And she believed you should, too.
We hope there is an afterlife where she will be welcomed by the exceptional women who preceded her in death - Aunts, Mother and Grandmother from whom she received unconditional love and also that she find answers about why her personality sometimes came with rough edges.
Survived by the entire town of Guéoul, daughter Niki (Jim) Richardson of Hotchkiss, sister Phyllis (Doc) Bieker of Hays, Kansas, friend Andrea Engelman, and the organization Judy founded, Friends of Guéoul, which will continue to keep girls in school under the Directorship of Elke McGuire. In lieu of flowers, donations to Friends of Guéoul will support her legacy and fervent passion to dream bigger for girls and women. www.Guéoul.org/donate or Friends of Guéoul, 3120 S. Race Street, Englewood, CO 80113
A celebration of Judy's life will be planned when people can gather to make music and jubilate for her. If you'd like to be notified, please contact Judy's daughter, Niki Richardson at [email protected].

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Denver Post on Nov. 22, 2020.