Judith "Judi" Golombowski, 74, of New Berlin, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on October 5, 2026, after losing her years-long battle with cancer. She was born in 1952 to Edmund and Esther (Modrzcjawski) Oleniczak and attended South Division High School in Milwaukee.

In 1974, Judi married her soulmate, Ron. They spent many happy years together traveling, gambling, and enjoying life at the lake. And they hosted fantastic parties.

With determination and dedication, Judi overcame a variety of obstacles, earning both a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Fine Arts with Honors from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Judi was an accomplished painter and ceramist, but is best known for her surreal digital artwork, meticulously assembling and manipulating photos with patterns and copyright-free historical images. Her photo collages have been exhibited nationally, and her work has received numerous awards.

Her 50-year career in art began in the UWM University Center Publicity Department, hand-painting banners and hand-lettering signs in the days well before computers. As a Digital Media Instructor and adjunct professor, she wrote curriculum and taught graphic design to hundreds of students at Alverno College, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and University of Wisconsin-Parkside. 

From Iceland, experiencing the northern lights, to Italy, touring museums and viewing great works of art, Judi loved seeing the world. One of her most recent trips was to Poland, traveling with American cousins to meet relatives abroad. She also loved foreign art films, cooking shows, her cats, Ozzy and Winter, and a well-designed ceramic coffee mug. In the summer, you could always find her gardening.

Judi was a lifelong learner and a passionate advocate for the causes she believed in. She stayed active in the Kelly Lakes Association to the very end. Thanks to her perseverance, the Kelly Lake Wetlands are now protected and designated as part of the environmental corridor system in New Berlin, Wisconsin, a lasting reminder of her care for the community and the land she loved.

Judi is survived by her husband of 52 years, Ron; a brother, Michael Oleniczak; Harrison and Shelley Mitchell and their daughters, Leona and Juniper, whom Judi fondly considered her grandchildren; her world travel buddy, Karla Wallace; as well as a host of wonderful friends, colleagues, and relatives. She was preceded in death by her parents.

The family thanks Zilber Hospice for the loving care they provided Judi during the last days of her life. In honor of Judi, consider donating to a local arts group or a humane society in her name. A celebration of life will follow at a later date.