Judy Coughlin, the wife of former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, has passed away at the age of 77, the Coughlin family announced.
“My cherished wife and our beloved mother and grandmother, Judy Whitaker Coughlin, passed away this morning at the age of 77," The Coughlin family said in a statement.
"Judy was a remarkable woman in every way. She lived a life filled with love and unselfishly gave her heart and soul to others. Judy made you feel like an old friend from the first hug to the last. She was a mother to all on and off the field.
"For everyone who knew and loved Judy, the enormity of her absence cannot be put into words, but the immense kindness she showed to others will always endure. Our hearts are broken, but we know she is free from suffering and at peace with our Lord.”
Mrs. Coughlin, a wife, mother to four children, grandmother to 12, and the backbone of the Coughlin household had been suffering from progressive supranuclear palsy, an incurable brain disorder that affects the ability to walk, speak, think and control body movements.
“We were saddened to hear of Judy’s passing this morning," said Giants co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch in a statement released by the team. "She was an incredibly bright light for all of us, and we were blessed that she shared her energy, vitality, and love with our organization.
"As Tom has often noted, his role as head coach ended at the front porch. When he walked through the door, Judy was the boss. Our thoughts are with Tom and the entire Coughlin family.”
Coughlin, who has a new book coming out on December 6, 2022, titled "A Giant Win," has spoken candidly about having been a caretaker--one of over 50 million in America who care for a loved one--and the heartbreak of watching the disorder rob his wife of the simple things she enjoyed in her life, such as being able to hug her children and grandchildren.
He first disclosed his wife's battle in an editorial in the New York Times last year, and he has devoted a chapter in his forthcoming book, "Judy," to his wife.
"My whole life, I had prided myself on my preparation. But nothing prepares you for watching a loved one slip away, and nothing prepared me for this job--the most important job of my life," Coughlin wrote in his forthcoming book.
"I always thought the Super Bowls we won in New York were the cumulation of a life lived in service to these values. But no--these times with Judy are the cumulation. The difference is that, unlike those championship seasons, there's no happy ending in sight here. That makes it hard to find the strength every morning to keep going."
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