In Memoriam

Remembering Judith

It is with profound sadness we report the passing of Judith Mosoff, President and founding member of STEPS Forward. Judith had great integrity and authenticity. She loved life and passionately advocated for individuals with cognitive and mental health challenges. She brought her great analytical mind, knowledge, experience and compassion to confronting the legal and other barriers faced by individuals with mental health, and cognitive disabilities striving to live a life of dignity and self determination. It was inspiring to walk beside her.

Judith touched our lives is so many ways. While we will miss her tremendously, her legacy will live on through our memories and
the work that still needs to be done.

Judith Mosoff Memorial Scholarship

Many people have expressed a wish to honour Judith's memory through the establishment of a Judith Mosoff Memorial Fund We are the process of setting this up. In the meantime those wishing to donate in Judith's honour may do so at the STEPS Forward Bursary Fund and designate that it is for the Judith Mosoff Bursary Fund.

The Bursary Fund will provide the resources to support students with developmental disabilities who by pursuing lives as unremarkable and typical students are changing their own expectations about themselves and challenging society's historical expectations about the authentic inclusion of people with developmental disabilities as peers in all aspects of a life well lived.

Judith Mosoff on Motherhood, Madness, and Law.
Centre for Feminist Legal Studies, University of British Columbia.

E. Hughson, Associate Professor,

Community Rehabilitation & Disability Studies,

Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine,

University of Calgary

February 24, 2016
To Judith Mosoff’s family; my deepest sympathies to Jim, Ben and Leah.
It is not enough to say that Judith was an intelligent, creative, loving, insightful, kind woman with wit and a finely tuned sense of humor (often making us laugh when we only wanted to rant or whine.) She was like no one else, unique but not apart – an amazing person who could blend endless curiosity with generous acceptance of people for who they are, AND with the ability to critically analyze what was needed to advocate against injustice, misfortune or cruelty. She made substantive contributions as a lawyer, legal advisor, lecturer, researcher and scholar, advancing the rights of people with disabilities. Canadians are the beneficiaries of her work now and into the future.

It was my amazing good fortune to meet her at a time when she was intent on expanding inclusive pathways for young adults. Together as parents and comrades, Judith and Tamara Hurtado became a remarkable force, stepping up to innovate the STEPS Forward Inclusive Post Secondary Education initiative, first at UBC – then successfully growing seven more BC inclusive post secondary campus initiatives over the next fifteen years. In this work, Judith never lost hope or missed an opportunity to build relationships, seek new places and spaces for dialogue, ask big questions and offer coherent ideas that won the hearts and minds of other academics, families, friends, funders, policy makers or administrators. In her -day to day- actions, I saw her unshakable ethic, vision for and commitment to students and their families. Judith knew that enlightened engagement in the same struggles was endlessly needed to increase the likelihood of a ‘good life’, one student at a time. Clearly students, families, friends and faculty have been the beneficiaries of her skilled negotiations to expand the quality of higher education for everyone.

It feels so unfair to lose her. We miss her and all that she gave so freely. Most keenly, I miss my friend. I am grateful for the many times she was willing to talk about the dark side, examine all parts of an argument, risk untested notions that just might shift the inevitability of life outcomes; all without losing perspective or an appreciation of the absurd. Regardless of time and distance we could pick up the conversation from where we left off - in spite of lousy cell connections in coffee shops, cars or street cafes. She was above all adventurous, loyal, funny, kind, trustworthy, loving, honest, smart and an inspiration to me. She was the most loving mother and spouse, generous friend, recommender of good books, fabulous cook; a bon vivant who would share a dirty martini and shop for cashmere sweaters. She was never pretentious, always credible - you could count on Judith. She was the real thing. She will always be in my heart.

E. Anne Hughson

The Friday Library What friendship makes possible

January 8, 2016
Judy Mosoff lost her battle with cancer on December 20, 2015. I haven’t seen her since 2007 and I miss her already. This week, I dug back to one of my favourite Mosoffs. You should read “Motherhood, Madness, and Law“. I read it as a law student and was struck by how wonderfully Judy integrates her qualitative empirical research, and especially narrative, into this otherwise densely substantive piece. Re-reading it, I am reminded of how meaningful friendships that take root in the academy can become to our scholarly explorations and inquiries. Isabel Grant‘s work features prominently in the piece. The two were periodic collaborators and good friends. Over the years I have been struck by how much better Judy’s work was because of her friendship with Isabel and vice versa. If you weren’t fortunate enough to meet Judy, the Centre for Feminist Legal Studies at UBC videoed one of her talks last year and it exemplifies much of Judy’s thoughtful approach to her research. You should get to know her. (And if you did know her and want to leave a memory in her guestbook, you can do so here.)

Kim Brooks

International Seniors Law Project –China

December 28, 2015
To Judith's family, on behalf of International Bridges to Justice China and her friends in Beijing,
Those of us who had the honor of spending summer 2014 with Judy in Beijing were all profoundly moved by her generous spirit, sense of adventure, easy going attitude, and friendship. Her work has helped improved the lives of thousands of people living with disabilities in China and her warmth was felt by all those who had the good fortune to meet her. We are truly grateful for the time she dedicated to our work and we will carry on her legacy for many years to come. She remains in our hearts.

Aurora Bewicke, Beijing

Bruce Uditsky, Chief Executive Officer Inclusion Alberta

February 24, 2016
To Judith’s Family, with the most sincere condolences from myself and everyone at Inclusion Alberta

I was first drawn to Judith’s values, insights and capacity for critical analysis almost 20 years ago when we were at a national meeting reviewing the implications of the Eaton vs. Brant County Board of Education Supreme Court decision on the future of inclusive education in Canada. She, I think with Isabel Grant, if memory serves me correctly, presented the most comprehensive and critical review of the decision I had read to that point or subsequently. It was the depth of analysis that was impressive along with her passionate conviction and recognition that at its root, the decision was not simply about the denial of the right to an inclusive education but the very diminishment of the equal and human rights of Canadians with intellectual disabilities. I learned much from her at that time and felt I had found a kindred spirit. But little did I know how much more she would later teach me about the power of creativity when fueled with a deep and abiding passion for social justice and better lives - for her son and all others

Judith was an amazing source of inspiration and with Tamara, her comrade in arms an unstoppable force. She could see possibilities that others could not imagine. And as such she, with Tamara, led the development of inclusive post-secondary education in British Columbia, resulting in BC having the second largest number of inclusive colleges and universities in the country. Often alone and questioning, sometimes doubting whether inclusive post-secondary education could become a reality or be sustained, she and Tamara persisted when most would easily have abandoned hope. No matter the challenges that emerged, over and over again, she would first protest and rant, become exasperated with systems and the unimaginative, and then renewed through friends, family and an unrelenting commitment, continue to make a difference.

I loved talking with her, the way her questions and thought processes made me stop and think and rethink, and how her irreverent humour made me laugh. I miss those emails asking if I could talk NOW! As a parent of a son with intellectual disabilities I identified with her desire and struggles for her son to find his place in the world while she devoted herself, in addition to her scholarly pursuits, in helping others find their place in community.

Judith was a remarkable and inspiring leader. A reminder of how much one spirited individual can accomplish and with that courageous spirit draw others to her to change ‘what is’ to ‘what should be’. She has left a mark on my heart and soul that cannot be erased.

Bruce Uditsky

Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL)

December 27, 2015
To Judith Mosoff's family, on behalf of all of us at CACL , our deepest sympathies.
Judy was a remarkable human being and her passing is a huge loss to our community living and broader disability rights movement. As a parent, an educator, writer, lawyer, thinker, advocate and innovator, and professor of law at the UBC faculty of law for many years, she has had an enormous impact on the law and on people's lives. She advanced the rights of people with intellectual and mental disability in particular, educating lawyers who will have impact for generations to come. Judy served on our Institute Board for a number of years, presented at CACL conferences, led the development of our Strategic Litigation Advisory Committee and undertook path-breaking research on access to justice by people with intellectual disabilities, while leading the development of inclusive post-secondary education in BC. She was a key legal advisor on a pro bono basis in many of our cases in the past number of years, most recently in our successful intervention in the Moore inclusive education case at the Supreme Court of Canada a couple of years ago. Just over a year ago, she gave a brilliant lecture (one of so, so many) on how mothers with mental health disabilities are systematically disadvantaged by the law, and have custody of their children removed from them as a result - Motherhood, Madness, and Law. So wonderful to see her in usual fine form, and know that we will continue to benefit from her immense gifts, legacy and example of steadfast commitment and advocacy for inclusion.

Michael Bach