JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Judy Whitaker Coughlin, wife of former Jaguars coach and executive vice-president Tom Coughlin, died on Wednesday morning at 77.
The Tom and the Coughlin family released a statement on Judy's passing.
“My cherished wife and our beloved mother and grandmother, Judy Whitaker Coughlin, passed away this morning at the age of 77. Judy was a remarkable woman in every way. She lived a life filled with love and unselfishly gave her heart and soul to others. Judy made you feel like an old friend from the first hug to the last. She was a mother to all on and off the field. For everyone who knew and loved Judy, the enormity of her absence cannot be put into words, but the immense kindness she showed to others will always endure. Our hearts are broken, but we know she is free from suffering and at peace with our Lord.”
Jaguars Owner Shad Khan also released a statement on Judy’s passing:
"It was a privilege for me to know Judy Coughlin, if only for a short while. Judy was everything I had been told to expect when her husband Tom returned to the Jaguars in 2017 - kind, energetic, optimistic, and an inspiration.
I personally saw the love and support Tom had for Judy, so I am saddened for Tom, his family, and everyone who was positively impacted by Judy here in Jacksonville and beyond.
Judy was truly a force for good and will be deeply missed by all."
Tom Coughlin revealed that his wife was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy in a guest column in the New York Times, last year.
Progressive supranuclear palsy is a brain disorder that affects the ability to walk, speak, think and control body movements. The disorder does not have a cure.
Coughlin, the Jaguars first coach from 1995-2002 who later won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants, said in the column that symptoms began occurring four years ago and his wife's condition has slowly deteriorated.
