Judy Coughlin stood beside her husband during his coaching career. It was fitting that he would be there for her in her final years of life. “Off the field, at her bedside, where I should be,”Tom named an essay he had written for The New York TimesIn 2021. “[This NFL season] I will be sitting far from the sidelines, at the bedside, and holding the hand of my biggest supporter, my beloved wife,”He shared. Tom shared that Judy was diagnosed in 2020 with supranuclear paralysis. He explained that the brain disorder is incurable and progressive, affecting a person’s ability to function normally. “ability to walk, speak, think and control body movements.”
Tom acknowledged that it was not easy to become a full-time caregiver for his wife who is dying. “Nothing can prepare you to be a caregiver who has to watch a loved one slip away,”He wrote. He wrote that he believed the “discipline, commitment, and accountability”He had high standards for his athletes, which he demanded of them. “qualities”This helped him to get over the pain and heartbreak he was feeling.
“Judy was a remarkable woman in every way. She lived a life filled with love and unselfishly gave her heart and soul to others,”Tom told PeopleFollowing Judy’s passing. He stated that words could not adequately describe the devastating impact her death had on the world. He vowed, however, that Judy’s kindness will continue to be remembered.