Judith Giuliani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Judi Giuliani
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Giuliani in 2003
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| Born |
Judi Ann Stish
December 16, 1954 Hazleton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Pennsylvania State University New York University |
| Occupation | Registered nurse Sales representative Fundraiser |
| Known for | Ex-wife of former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) |
Jeffrey Ross
(m. 1974; div. 1979)Bruce Nathan
(m. 1979; div. 1992) |
| Children | 1 |
Judi Ann Stish Ross Nathan Giuliani (born December 16, 1954) is an American registered nurse, a former medical sales executive, and a fundraiser for charities. She is also known as the ex-wife of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Judi Giuliani was a managing director at a company called Changing Our World, which helps charities raise money. She was also a founding board member of the Twin Towers Fund.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Judi Ann Stish was born and grew up in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. This town is famous for its history of coal mining. Her family is Roman Catholic and has Italian roots from her father's side and Polish roots from her mother's side. Her father, Donald Stish Sr., worked for The Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper. Her mother, Joan Ann (Ososki), was a homemaker. Judi had an older brother, Donald Jr., who passed away in 2004, and she has a younger sister named Cyndy.
Judi graduated from Hazleton High School in 1972. While in high school, she was part of the Future Nurses Association. She also joined the Literary Society, the tennis and ski clubs, and a volunteer group called the Diggers Club. She was interested in both the science and human aspects of healthcare. She decided to study nursing at St. Luke's Hospital in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This program was connected with Pennsylvania State University. She earned her registered nurse diploma on September 1, 1974. She believes becoming a nurse was one of her best decisions. She said it taught her "crisis management, decision making, prioritizing."
First Marriages and Career Beginnings
After finishing her nursing program, Judi Stish worked as a nurse for a few months. She worked at Sacred Heart Hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania. On December 8, 1974, she married Jeffrey Ross in Las Vegas. He was a medical supply salesman. The couple soon moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1975, they both started working for U.S. Surgical Corporation. They sold medical supplies in the Southeast. Judi Ross taught doctors in operating rooms how to use a new surgical stapling method. After four years, she and Jeffrey Ross separated. Their divorce was finalized on November 14, 1979. They did not have any children together.
On November 19, 1979, Judi Stish Ross married Bruce Nathan. He was a wallpaper salesman. Judi Nathan stopped working around this time. They lived in Charlotte for two years, then moved to Atlanta, Georgia. In March 1985, the Nathans adopted a daughter named Whitney. The family moved to Manhattan in 1987. Later, in 1991, they moved to Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles. During these years, she briefly worked for DynaMed Surgical in California. She also changed her religion from Roman Catholicism to Presbyterianism.
The Nathans' marriage ended in the early 1990s. Their divorce was finalized in 1992. Judi won primary custody of their daughter. Around this time, she started to prefer being called "Judith." In March 1992, she moved back to New York. As a single mother, she worked part-time in a dentist's office. She also took computer and business classes at New York University at night and on weekends. In 1993, Judith received a New York nursing license. She then started working as a pharmaceutical sales representative for Bristol-Myers Squibb. She sold surgical supplies, anti-depressants, and antibiotics in Brooklyn. One of her special areas was infectious diseases. By 1997, she became one of Bristol-Myers' top sales managers. She led a team of 12 salespeople.
Marriage to Rudy Giuliani
Judith Nathan met Rudy Giuliani, who was then the Mayor of New York, in May 1999. They met at a cigar bar on the Upper East Side. They said a doctor who knew both of them introduced them. Mayor Giuliani started their relationship. At the time, the mayor was still married to his second wife, Donna Hanover. Judith was also still living with her partner, though they had separated a few months earlier. For almost a year, their relationship was kept private. In early 2000, Giuliani arranged for New York Police Department security for her. By March 2000, Giuliani and Nathan started appearing together at public events. In May 2000, Giuliani publicly called her his "very good friend." He also announced he was separating from his wife.
Later in 2000, Giuliani said that Nathan's nursing background helped him during his treatment for prostate cancer. Nathan researched different treatment options. Giuliani said, "I felt so fortunate to have not only someone who loved me and cared about me, but also someone who was an expert with an enormous amount of knowledge of medicine and science — she was the single biggest support that I had."
Judith and Rudy Giuliani became engaged in Paris in November 2002. They married on May 24, 2003. The wedding took place at Gracie Mansion. It was one of only two weddings performed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. About 400 guests attended the reception. These guests included people from politics, entertainment, and fashion. The couple had an expensive apartment in Manhattan and a summer home in The Hamptons.
Rudy Giuliani often called his wife his "closest adviser." In 2007, he said she was still "an expert we rely on" at his company, Giuliani Partners. He said, "She gives us a lot of advice and a lot of help in areas where she's got a lot of expertise – biological and chemical." He added that this was important for their security work. From before their marriage until his presidential campaign, Rudy Giuliani paid her about $125,000 each year for her work as a speechwriter.
Role in Presidential Campaign
When Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign began in 2007, Judith Giuliani was an advisor and helped raise money. Media attention focused on her. Rudy Giuliani said that Judith Giuliani was a good fund-raiser. He also said she gave important ideas for his policies, especially those about health care. This was because she had a two-year nursing degree and had sold medicines.
On April 4, 2018, it was announced that Judith Giuliani had filed for divorce from Rudy Giuliani. Their divorce was finalized on December 10, 2019. On August 2, 2022, it was announced that Judith Giuliani had filed a lawsuit against her former husband. This was because she said he did not follow their divorce agreement.
Fundraising and Charity Work
In March 2001, Judith Nathan wanted to travel less and be less in the public eye. She left Bristol-Myers and became a fund-raiser. Later, she became a managing director at Changing Our World. This company helps non-profit groups raise money for causes like juvenile blindness and HIV/AIDS in Africa. She left this organization in 2006.
After the September 11 attacks, Giuliani said Nathan helped coordinate efforts at the Family Assistance Center at Pier 94. Others also supported that she played a valuable role there for four months. Rudy Giuliani wrote in his 2002 book, Leadership, that she was a helpful adviser after September 11. He explained that she "had been a nurse for many years, and afterward a pharmaceutical executive; she had managed a team of people and had many organizational skills." He also said she had "wide-ranging scientific knowledge and research expertise." He added that he "put her to work helping me organize the hospitals" to help those injured in the attacks.
She became a founding board member of the Twin Towers Fund. Rudy Giuliani appointed her to this role. The fund raised and gave out $216 million to over 1,150 families and individuals. Money from the fund also created the TTF Scholarship Fund and America’s Camp for children affected by the attacks.
Judith Giuliani also served as the national spokesperson for Women's Heart Advantage. This group works to teach women and their doctors about preventing heart problems. She promoted the organization as the first hospital-based program focusing on women and heart disease. In a book called Mapping the New World of American Philanthropy (2007), Judith wrote about how the Baby-Boomer generation can create a lasting legacy through charity.
Additionally, Judith Giuliani has raised money for many other organizations. These include Southampton Hospital, Finding a Cure for Epilepsy and Seizures (FACES), Christian Blind Mission International (CBMI), Hurricane Katrina relief in New Orleans, St. Vincent's Hospital Level 1 Trauma Unit, Cabrini High School and Cabrini Medical Center, and the McCarton School for children with autism.
For her service, Judith has received several awards. These include the Community Award from the New York Junior League. She also received the Spirit of Cabrini Service Award from the Cabrini Mission Foundation. In May 2006, she received the New York University Humanitarian Award. Giuliani was recognized for her work as a nurse in humanitarian and charity efforts. She was also honored for being a strong voice in promoting the nursing profession.
