Saturday's Internet Edition, May 17, 2008.
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“When Judy calls and says she and Huey are coming, we rearrange our schedule if we have to,” said Frances Pait, activities director of Britthaven. “I go around and tell our residents, ‘Guess who’s coming.’ They really appreciate them.”
Judy suffered from cruel tragedy in early adulthood. Her amateur singing career started after a couple of miracles.
About three and a half years ago, Judy was diagnosed with cancer. Her doctor told her that because of her love for the elderly he was really dreading to tell her that she was going to die.
“I prayed and prayed and had a lot of people praying for me,” Judy Loflin recalled of those uncertain times. “When the doctor came back to me with the test results, he said. ‘I can’t believe this. You’re one lucky lady.’ I said ‘No, sir. I’m not lucky. I’m very blessed.’”
On the way home, Judy prayed again.
“O Lord, let me do something in return,” she said in gratitude that the cancer was no longer there. “If you let me sing, I’ll sing. I’ll visit shut-ins every week and spread your word through music.”
Then the second miracle occurred. She told her husband she was going to sing.
“No, you’re not,” Huey Loflin responded, knowing that his wife couldn’t carry a tune.
But when she sang “So Much to Thank Him For,” her voice was beautiful and in tune.
“It just came out,” she said. “Ever since then the Lord has opened doors for me and helped me sing.”
Although she was not a singer until recent years, Judy has been entertaining people who live in nursing homes since 1971. She had grown up under circumstances where Christmas and birthdays were, by and large, ignored.
“I was determined that my children were going to grow up experiencing the joys of Christmas,” she said.
In 1970, as she was preparing to celebrate her first Christmas with her two young children, Judy was hit with tragic news. Her first husband, David Norris, had been killed in Vietnam.
“I said, ‘Kids, we’ve got to do start something to honor your father’s memory,’” Judy Loflin recalled. “That’s when we started going to nursing homes.”
Judy and her two children entertained at nursing homes as the children were growing up.
“We would play Santa Claus and we would play clowns,” she said. “We’d visit nursing homes all around the Piedmont.”
During these years Judy, a Thomasville High School alumnus, worked as an upholster for Thayer Coggin Inc. in High Point. In 1985, she met Huey Loflin, who was also an High Point upholsterer, but at Clarendon. They married in 1990 and followed his dream by moving to the coast.
Huey joined Judy in the nursing home entertainment. Between them they have four children, 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, all of whom live in the Triad area. Huey is Judy’s entertainment partner now, but the experienced couple does not charge a fee for their entertainment. In fact, they come with gifts for their audience.
“We try to bring something everywhere we go; a trinket, a stuffed animal or an article of clothing,” Judy Loflin said.
The Loflins enjoy a little comedy in their act and bring along cordless microphones so that the residents can sing along. Judy said the public is invited to their Sunday afternoon show and hopes to see a lot of her old friends and co-workers there.
“I think this will be a big inspiration to a lot of people when they realize just how much it means to these residents,” Judy Loflin said. “The rewards and blessings from it are great.”
Staff Writer Kevin Reid can be reached at 472-9500, ext. 230, or at reid@tvilletimes.com.