Judith Ann (Donnellan) Bollini

Judith Ann (Donnellan) Bollini was born on October 14th, 1964, in Monterey, California, to Robert I. Donnellan, Sr. and Nancy (Kane) Donnellan. She passed away on January 2nd, 2026, at the age of 61.

When the family relocated to Trout Valley in Cary, Illinois, in the mid-1970s, Judy discovered her true passion—horses. She spent weekends and afternoons after school at the local horse barn, willingly taking on all the demanding chores without complaint. Through her dedication and hard work, Judy earned the trust of the horse owners who boarded their animals there. She eagerly took riding lessons and absorbed everything she could about caring for and working with horses.

One memorable day, Judy arrived at the barn expecting to clean stalls as usual, only to find out she was there to clean her own and meet Butter, her new horse. All the effort and persistence she put in had truly paid off. It was love at first sight. Judy and Butter entered countless competitions, where they excelled and earned numerous awards.

The family moved to Houston, Texas, and then to Sarasota, Florida in the early 1980s, causing Judy to put her passion for horses on hold. She attended the University of Florida and graduated with a degree in public relations in 1994.

When life brought Judy back to Illinois in 1994, she rediscovered her passion for horses with Flash and Destiny, whom she lovingly referred to as her babies, her girls. Judy challenged herself and decided to teach Destiny dressage, which is described as "the highest expression of horse training," where horse and rider are expected to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements.

Each October, Judy made an annual trip to Golden Hills in Missouri with Flash and Destiny for a weeklong adventure filled with trail rides, competitions, and bonfires. During one of these trips, Judy met her future husband, Donald Bollini. She and her beloved horses moved to Rockbridge, Illinois, where they joined Don’s horses on their 20-acre ranch. Flash and Destiny lived into their 30s, with Flash passing in June 2025.

Judy was preceded in death by her mother, Nancy (Kane) Donnellan. She is survived by her husband, Donald Bollini, her father, Bob Donnellan, Sr., brothers Bob Donnellan (Jan), Jr. and Tim Donnellan (Valerie), and her sister Sue (Tom) Rigney. Services will be private.

A tribute book has been set up online so friends and family may share their favorite memories and photos of Judy. Please click the following link: https://account.alifeuntold.com/contributor/tribute-for-judy-donnellan-bollini

If you would like to make a donation in Judy’s Honor, here are links to Horse Recues: https://millcreekfarm.org/ Hope 4 Horses Rescue & Sanctuary

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Judith Ann (Donnellan) Bollini, please visit our floral store.