Everything — from jazz to elephant-riding — interested Julie Hudson, who died of cancer at her Denver home April 1 at age 68.
Hudson was a humanities and music teacher, traveled the world, played the piano and accordion, and started learning French at 65.
Her son, former Mayor Wellington Webb spokesman Andrew Hudson, said she was always prepared for travel. “I’m surprised she didn’t go to the Tattered Cover before she died to get a travel guide to the afterlife.”
“She was a spark plug,” said longtime friend Bob Montgomery of Greenwood Village. “She wanted to know about everything.”
When Hudson spoke to Montgomery’s opera class, which is part of the VIVA program for senior citizens at the University of Denver, he said, “she dazzled the students with her knowledge and warmth. She was a kick in the pants.”
Hudson’s curiosity and adventuresome spirit, which led her to ride a rip line in Costa Rica, travel on an elephant in Vietnam and climb the ruins in Machu Picchu, Peru, started early.
Friend Olivia Bennett remembered that she and Hudson, as teenagers, would sneak people into drive-in theaters by hiding some of them in the trunk.
“We were always getting into scrapes,” said Bennett of Colorado Springs. “But there was no way you could be around Julie and be unhappy because she had an amazing outlook.”
Any excuse would work “to get her on an airplane,” said her daughter, Melissa Phillips of Chicago.
Hudson showed up unannounced for the birthday of one of Phillips’ children and another time flew to Chicago to play the piano for a fundraiser in which Phillips was involved.
Julie McGaw was born in Denver on July 20, 1939, graduated from South High School.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in music education at Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver and her master’s in music education at the University of Colorado.
While at DU, she met Dorsey Hudson, also a music major and a trombonist, and they married in June 1961.
All four of their children got the music gene: Kathy Langr is a professional violinist in Salt Lake City, Phillips is a pianist, son Chris Hudson is a musician in Berlin, and Andrew Hudson is a local jazz bassist.
Julie Hudson conducted the choirs at South High and taught music, arts and humanities at Front Range Community College.
An accomplished jazz pianist, she also played organ at St. Vincent De Paul and Holy Cross Catholic churches, performed in an accordion band and played the chimes in the bell tower of the Denver City and County Building at Christmas.
In addition to her husband and children, she is survived by five grandchildren.
Virginia Culver: 303-954-1223 or vculver@denverpost.com