AWSEF Award of Merit for 2020 – Judy Starkloff

Presented by: Bonnie Lance, Nov. 7, 2020

Hi, All:

Thank you so much for joining us this evening as we honor the memory of Judy Starkloff by posthumously awarding her with the AWSEF Award of Merit for 2020.

They always say that behind every great man is a great woman and Judy definitely fits that bill.  Judy was an incredible behind the scenes helper to the AWSEF and was very active in the North Alabama chapter of the American Wine Society serving as secretary, treasurer, programs chairperson, and director.

She was the rock that always kept us on track during the national conferences with everything that she did to help, while her husband Karl was on the Board of Trustees. From the simplest detail of being the first person to make you feel comfortable in a session or to include you in a conversation when you are new and do not know any one, she had a way about her that made you feel special as she took you under her wing. 

She was always the person behind the scenes that helped make everything run smoothly.  She never wanted the credit for it, but always took the initiative and was everywhere we needed her to be without even asking for help; she set up, watched and promoted the silent auction, collected and organized paperwork, delivered auction items, took pictures for us so that we had them for later and so many other things I can’t even begin to name. 

I can clearly remember the first time I had to go on stage as the President of AWSEF and present in front of the whole AWS membership…I was so nervous!! But Judy was the one who talked me through it before I did it and smiled and nodded at me from the front row just showing me that I was doing a good job.

Besides being active with the AWS and AWSEF, she was a charter member of the Messiah Lutheran Church, was a member of PEO Chapter Z where she enjoyed the fellowship of Christian women in working toward a common goal to further the education and advancement of women through philanthropic projects, she belonged to the Huntsville Newcomers club, was an antique dealer and liked to cook, play bridge, and travel, especially on cruises. She also liked to read and belonged to the Highland Lakes book club and Bunco group.

We have created a plaque to honor Judy and will be mailing to Karl Starkloff to have as a keepsake. She was an amazing person, and we are so grateful for all that she has done for the AWSEF. Thank you Karl for letting us bestow this honor to Judy. We will miss her dearly.