When Bob Oetter talks about his late wife, Judy, his voice softens and a smile finds its way in. He talks about her the way people do when love is still very close — with affection, gratitude and a quiet awe for who she was and how deeply she cared for those around her.
“Judy’s greatest gift was that she saw people, recognized what they really needed at that time and went out of her way to help them eliminate that need,” Bob said.
After earning her nursing degree from Austin Peay State University in Tennessee, Judy devoted four decades to the profession she loved. More than 30 years of her career were spent in Gainesville, where she worked at UF Health Shands Hospital and helped guide student nurses and others as they began their own careers in health care. Those who worked alongside her remember her not only for her skill and experience, but for her passion to go above and beyond what was required — to notice, to stay a little longer and to give a little more.
That dedication never ended when her shift did.
If someone needed help — a friend, coworker or someone she had just met — Judy showed up. It could be as noteworthy as one of her many foreign or domestic mission trips, often accompanied by her sister-in-law, Loraine Oetter, or as simple as an anonymous monetary gift to someone in need. To those on the receiving end, these moments mattered deeply. To Judy, they were simply part of living — her natural way of sharing her kindness, love and solutions with others.
“We’d run into someone she had helped years earlier,” Bob said, “and they’d tell her she was the reason they got through that terrible time in their life. I don’t think she ever understood how many lives she changed, including mine.”
When Judy died unexpectedly in April 2025 following a surgical procedure, Bob was overwhelmed by the outpouring of messages and stories that followed. Colleagues, former students and patients reached out with their own stories — each one a reflection of the same truth: Judy had made a lasting impact on their lives.
“She would have said she was just doing her job,” he said. “But she did so much more. And I don’t want the world to forget that.”
To honor her life and ensure that her spirit of care lives on, Bob established the Judy Lynn Oetter “Above and Beyond!” Memorial Nursing Scholarship at the University of Florida College of Nursing in June 2025. The scholarship is awarded annually, in perpetuity.
In fall 2025, Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing student Mary Galione became the first recipient.
“I am honored to be the first recipient,” Galione said. “I will carry Judy’s legacy with me into my nursing career and strive to live up to her above-and-beyond example every day.”
Inspired by the positive response to the initial scholarship, Bob set out to promote and raise funds to establish additional traditional nursing scholarships — in his words, to help create as many “Judy Oetters” as possible in the future. Through these efforts, and thanks to many generous donations, enough funds have been raised to establish a second “Above and Beyond!” Memorial Nursing Scholarship, which will also be awarded in perpetuity. Work is now underway to fund a third.
For Bob, the scholarship is about far more than remembering her name. It is about continuing Judy’s way of seeing the world — with compassion, presence and a deep respect for those in need.
As he reflects on Judy’s life, Bob returns to one simple truth — one he hopes others will come to know through her legacy as well.
“I was lucky enough to love her up close,” he said. “But the truth is the world is better because she was in it.”
Those who wish to help create as many “Judy Oetters” as possible may contribute to the Judy Lynn Oetter “Above and Beyond!” Memorial Nursing Scholarship.
Would you like to meet the first recipient of Judy’s Scholarship?
If so, please scan the QR code below or use this link!
