Judith Esther Richardson Vocal Music Scholarship

Judith Esther loved many things in this life, and at the top of her list was music. She came from Puerto Rico to New York City where she lived with her grandmother and near Harlem. During the Depression she learned habits of frugality that remained with her throughout her life. Even in adulthood, she had fond memories of the education and health benefits she received from the City of New York during her adolescent years. As a young girl, she displayed artistic and musical talent which fostered dreams of what her future might be. Following ninth grade in Manhattan, she was one of two girls sent to a high school of Commercial Arts, which up to that time had been a boys’ school.

Although Judith’s life took many turns, she never lost her love for the fine arts. Many years later, she found herself the mother of three children she loved dearly—Carol, Joseph and Lynn. Lynn was the one who inherited the “vocal gene,” and Judith wanted her to have the opportunity to develop her talents. By this time the family was living in Costa Mesa, but Judith was aware of the Lutheran college in Thousand Oaks with a strong music department and a fine choral director. Thus it was that with generous financial aid and interest on the part of the music department, Lynn became a CLC student, graduating in 1977. Lynn continued to do her alma mater proud by becoming a well-known voice in choirs and concerts throughout the Conejo Valley.

Apart from being a mom, Judith loved were gardening, Irish clogging, square dancing, traveling, and most certainly writing. She was of the generation that expected a written response to every letter. But she also kept a journal as her way of remembering events in her life and places she visited. At one period she spent five months in an RV with a friend traveling throughout the eastern United States and Canada. Even so, she loved returning to her home and her family. Her faith was strong, and she gave God credit for every blessing that came her way.

In 1979 Judith made a generous gift to CLC which, in her words, was “an offering owed to God.” That gift established the endowed Judith Esther Richardson Vocal Music Scholarship to be used for the benefit of a capable vocal student (preferably a music major) who is a sophomore or above in class standing. It may be received as many as four times to a student, including for a fifth year of graduate study. The first award was made in 1982.