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Judy Scopelleti, longtime Vail Valley resident, 1941-2010

Special to the Daily
obituaries@vaildaily.com
Vail, CO Colorado
Special to the DailyJudy Scopelleti
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Judy “Scope” Scopelleti, a longtime resident of the Vail Valley, died Aug. 16 while visiting her family in San Clemente, Calif.

She was born in 1941 in Elwood City, Pa., where she went to high school, met her husband, John Scopelleti, and began her family.

Judy is survived by her daughter, Carrie Scopelleti Verdugo and son-in-law Ray Verdugo; son Dennis and daughter-in-law Carol Scopelleti; son Ronnie and daughter-in-law Lisa Scopelleti; grandchildren Avalon and Jordan Scopelleti, Brice Peeler, Megan Peeler and Rocco and Gino Scopelleti; great-grandchildren Anthony Shallah, Emily Peeler and Emma Peeler; step-grandchildren Ray Verdugo Jr., David Verdugo, Breanna Verdugo and Ryan Verdugo; Step-great-grandchildren Ethan Peeler, Evan Peeler, Ian Peeler, Alijah Verdugo and Hope Verdugo.

Judy moved to Vail from Huntington Beach, Calif., in 1978 to start a new life for herself and her 15-year-old son, Ronnie. She began her hotel career at Manor Vail lodge in the reservations department. In 1979, she went to the Holiday Inn Chateau Vail as director of sales, where she worked until 1982, at which time she became the director of sales for the Lions Square Lodge in Lionshead, where she remained until 1988. It was at that time when Judy left the Vail Valley for the first time to be with her family in California while she fought her battle with breast cancer surgery and recovery. Judy came back to “her beautiful mountains” as director of sales for the Evergreen Lodge at Vail from April 1993 until December 2002.

Due to failing health from her diabetic condition, Judy decided reluctantly to sell her home at the Reserve and move back to California to live with her family. However, it didn’t take long for her to realize how very much she missed being a “mountain woman” and longed to come back to Vail. As luck would have it, a longtime Vail friend, in need of a live-in helper due to an accident, called Judy, and three days later, Judy was back in Vail and destined to never leave again.

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Judy was hired by The Cordillera Lodge and Spa as administrative assistant to General Manager Chris Hanen and was as happy as any one little old lady could be.

Judy was an active and generous volunteer throughout all of her years in Vail. She gave her time to so many of Vail’s charitable organizations and events that it would be impossible to list them all. Most recently she volunteered for the Teva Mountain Games in Vail and gleefully reported that she thought she was the oldest volunteer at the event.

Judy was an avid tennis player in her younger days, and, up until her declining vision kept her off the mountain in recent years, she skied almost every weekend and went snowshoeing, hiking and power walking.

She was a huge personality in a tiny little package, with a unique laugh and a bear hug that said, “I mean this from the bottom of my heart with no string attached.” She could out-cuss a truck driver and get away with it. Judy was the thread that connected and held together, often vicariously, hundred of lives together spanning over 20-some years. Our little Miss Judy, Judy, Judy was “there” for all of us at one time or another when we most needed her. Whatever are we going to do without her?

A memorial get-together is planned for Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. at Manor Vail Lodge (970-476-5651), 565 Vail Valley Drive. We are planning something special, so please RSVP if possible. Contact Shirley M. Robins at 970-926-5240 or reddogcody@aol.com

In lieu of flower, donations may be sent to Keagan Lynggard Medical Fund, care of Carol Scopelleti, 408 Plaza Estival, San Clemente, CA. 92672.

The Evergreen Lodge (970-476-7810) and Manor Vail will be offering special rates for guests arriving from out of town to attend Judy’s memorial.


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