Obituary: Vila M. Judd Nutt Gardom 1931 - 2013

Vila M. Judd Nutt Gardom passed on March 26th at University Medical Center in El Paso, TX. She was born on May 13, 1931 in Colonia Juarez, Chihua­hua, Mexico, the daughter of Jedd and Bertha Judd.

She most recently resided in Las Cruces, NM with her husband Paul Gardom. Vila is survived by her husband Paul and her three children Terri Alexan­der (Ken), Harold “Skeeter” Nutt (Lynn), and Kenny Nutt. Her second child and first son, Willard Nutt, passed in 2005. Her first husband, Harold Nutt, passed in Williams, AZ on February 4th, 1977.

She is also survived by her grandchildren Shan­non and Sammi Nutt, Justin (Tonya) and Jeremy Alexander (Sarah), and great-grandchildren Riana, Zach, and Max Alexander, along with numerous nieces and nephews including: Tito Vance (Diana), Merril Vance (Carol), Janette Birdno (Mike), Rita Sandler ( Ron), Lynn Vance (Heather), Lillian Ainsworth, Annette Buza (Cliff), Barbara Lee(Milton), and Michael Nutt ( Debbie).

Vila grew up in the small village of Chuichupa in the high pines of the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico. As Vila said in a 1977 Toastmasters speech, she lived there because that is where her parents lived, and their reason for living there was the same as hers. This was a poor town, but no one seemed to mind as everyone was in the same situation. Her family grew nearly all their own food, and they made all of their own clothes; both of these skills, Vila passed on to her children and grandchildren, though they are practiced today with varying degrees of success. They used kerosene lamps, cooked on a wood stove, drew their water from a well, rode horses to school, and horse drawn carriages to town.

As Vila grew up, she left Mexico to attend college in Arizona and briefly at BYU. Eventually she would return to El Paso and begin working. This is where she met a Nutt from New Jersey who was stationed at the White Sands Missile Range. As she said, “I couldn’t let a guy and a name like that get away.” They were married the day after he got out of the Army, on November 21st, 1952.

Their life together was set in motion at the old #2 El Paso Natural Gas Station on the Carlsbad Highway; this is where they began raising their four children and making many close life-long friends including; Jesse and Marge Blair and Paul and Lucille Gardom. During this time, they lived and worked at several El Paso Natural Gas Stations including: Jal #1, Cornudas, Florida, and last at the Williams, AZ station.

After her first husband’s sudden passing, Vila re-invented herself as a very successful career woman com­pleting 13 years of service at the main location for the El Paso Natural Gas Co. in downtown El Paso. She then moved to Prescott, AZ where she re­tired to be closer to her children and grand-children. She maintained all of her friendships from El Paso.

After 12 years in Prescott, she and Paul Gar­dom, both now unmarried, rekindled their friendship, which turned into a courtship, and her second marriage in 2002. Vila moved back to the part of the country she called home for so many years and has resided, happily married, with Paul for the past 11 years. They enjoyed their time im­mensely and lived an active lifestyle. They enjoyed trips to up-state New York, a Panama Canal cruise, and enjoyed frequent visits to Ruidoso. She expanded her family with three more step-children Byron Gardom (Mildred), Bruce Gardom (Diana), and Pam Langpap (Scott). This gave her more grand-children Amy, B. J., Katrina, Olivia, Candis, Jessica, and Sydne, and more great grand-chil­dren, Trent, Nicolette, Trevor, Bella, Trey, Jackson, Isaac, Sage, Ryder, and Ayla.

Vila M. Judd Nutt Gardom (Gram) will be greatly missed by her friends and family. She was a special woman who would engross you with any story she shared. She was a successful and quintessential 1950’s homemaker who raised four children of whom she was so very proud, and then she became a modern success­ful career woman who her children, grandchildren, family and friends are so very proud of.

She made every meal feel like it was Christmas Day and made every Christmas feel like the most special day of your life. Shopping was an all-day affair. From the long routes to avoid freeways to the hours roaming the racks, Vila felt at home at the mall and had the shoes to prove it! She loved the pine trees and the mountains and always said that Williams, AZ, her final resting place, reminded her so much of her home in Mexico. Vi, Mom, Gram, Great-Gram - we learned from you, we love you, we will all miss you. Rest in peace in Heaven. Services will be held at the Williams Cemetary at 1 p.m., Wednesday April 3rd.

An online guestbook is available to sign at www.westcottfuneralhome.com

Information provided by survivors.