The man in the red sweater

Photos provided by Angela Leedy

After testing positive for the coronavirus, southwest Florida native Judith Anne Root passed away leaving many heartbroken; however, her legacy echoes strongly throughout the community. Root was born and raised in Fort Myers and attended Fort Myers High School where she was a friendly face to many. Known for being a majorette and esteemed bassoon player in the school’s band, her enthusiasm and spirit were always popular.

Root graduated in 1960 and started a new life that would lead her to many places. She moved to Colorado where work at a bank became a large priority, but she always continued healthy and loving relationships with her children.

“She was a tender-hearted, just sweet mom,” Root’s daughter, Angela Leedy said.

Later in life Root became the grandma to seven children and the great-grandma to six. Root was always happiest with her grandchildren and her most recent years were dedicated to them, whether volunteering in the classroom or attending field trips.

Root began to show signs of dementia in 2012, which gave rise to several residences in Southport Square. In late spring, Root tested positive for Covid-19 while living in Southport which added additional stress on her body. Her daughter shared she was unable to easily obtain any information regarding Root’s treatment. Visiting was prohibited due to the virus, so routine video calls were the only possible forms of communication during this time.

One miraculous day over a video call, Root showed few signs of memory loss and carried on a bubbly conversation.

“It felt like I had my old mom back,” Leedy said.

During the call, Root claimed to see a man standing in the background behind her daughter. She persistently asked, “who’s the man in the red sweater behind you?” Alone on her porch swing and momentarily confused, Leedy realized the “man behind her” that her mother was seeing was most likely Root’s father. A common occurrence among ICU patients, Root claiming to see her deceased father wasn’t as crazy as Leedy first thought. It only took one moment to make all the difference, and this moment gave Leedy the comfort that someone was with her mother during a scary time. Root passed days later, and although the family was unable to hold a traditional ceremony because of the virus, they celebrated her life with a special Mother’s Day brunch.

“It made me feel better just thinking that my grandpa was behind her saying it was okay and that it was time,” Leedy said, “It was really a gift.”