Judith Nell Nichols Bolen

Funeral services for Judith Nell Nichols Bolen, 83, will be held on Monday, September 30, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2500 Southside Dr., Shreveport, Louisiana. Interment will follow at Centuries Memorial Park Cemetery, 8801 Mansfield Rd. in Shreveport. A visitation will be held at the funeral home from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service. Officiating the service will be Rev. Mike Stowell.

Judy was born on July 19, 1941, to Wyett Nichols and Nelwyn Hill Nichols in Shreveport, Louisiana and passed away on September 25, 2024, in Bossier City, Louisiana.

Judy was born and raised in Shreveport and was a proud graduate of CE Byrd High School. She married the love of her life, Buddy Bolen on July 3, 1959, and was a devoted mother to their three children. Buddy and Judy were proud founders of Friendship Academy and remained close friends with that special group of families their entire adult lives.

Judy began her career in the Civil Department of the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office on July 1, 1978, where she quickly advanced to Manager of the department. In 1992 she was promoted to Director of the Civil Department and held that position until she retired on July 1, 2012.

She was revered throughout the state with attorneys who did foreclosures in Caddo Parish. She ‘raised’ many attorneys who started their practice doing foreclosures and leaned on her for guidance. Judges and Clerks also held her in high esteem and knew they could count on Judy for her vast knowledge of civil service.

During her career she proudly served four Sheriffs: Jimmy Goslin, Harold Terry, Don Hathaway and Steve Prator.

Judy loved the outdoors, push mowing her two acres, and taking in stray animals both domestic and wild. It gave her immense joy to feed the neighborhood cats, raccoons, skunks, buzzards and occasionally when she spotted an eagle overhead, it was the highlight of her day.

Judy’s greatest joy in life was being ‘Grandmama’. Judy (and Buddy!) never missed a sporting event, school play, or birthday party. Every weekend was filled with grandchildren and later great-grandchildren. Each grandchild and great-grandchild was beloved by their Grandmama. And all their friends and teammates called her Grandmama, too.

Judy is preceded in death by her parents, Wyett Nichols and Nelwyn Hill Nichols; husband, Donald V. Bolen Sr. “Buddy”; brother, Wyett “Big Bubba” Nichols; sister, Marie Nichols Kelley; and great-granddaughter, Caroline Margaret McClinton. Left to cherish her memory is her daughter, Anne Bolt and husband, Eric; sons, Donald V. Bolen, Jr. “Bruiser” and wife, Paula, and David Ray Bolen and wife, Casey. She adored her seven grandchildren (Rodney, Ashley, Kendal, Danielle, Alyson, Emily and Daebo) and thirteen great-grandchildren (Tripp, Levi, Kase, Logan, Cooper, Easton, Jolee-Rae, John David, Amelia, Carter, Harleigh, and Buddy); numerous nieces, nephews and cousins that she had special relationships with.

Honoring Judy as pallbearers will be Patrick Oathout, Sutton Oathout, Austen Harrell, David Foster, Charlie Nichols, Joey Andrews, and Jordan Pennington.

The family would like to thank our cousin, Linda Hope Cox, for her devotion and unconditional love for Judy. They also want to thank the staff of Brookdale Bossier City who helped us navigate through the past few months and Gentiva Hospice.

The family welcomes donations to the Alzheimer’s Association as an expression of sympathy in lieu of flowers.