This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.Judy Blume's First Wedding Came Just Weeks After Her Father’s Unexpected Death: 'You Must Get Married, No Matter What'

Angela AndaloroSat, May 16, 2026 at 9:59 AM UTC

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Judy Blume in 1984 (left) and 1994
Credit: Steve Cox/The Denver Post via Getty; Ron Galella Collection via Getty -

Judy Blume was married to John Blume from 1959 to 1975

The couple's wedding came just weeks after Blume lost her father, Rudy, to a heart attack

Blume talked about how she was impacted by the decision to move forward with the wedding, with pressure from both families

Judy Blume's first marriage started in a whirlwind.

In Judy Blume: A Life, journalist Mark Oppenheimer, a self-proclaimed longtime Blume expert, talks about the author's first marriage, which gave her her pen name.

Judy Blume's first husband, John, proposed just two months after he and Judy began dating. Judy's family was excited for the nuptials, which came as her brother revealed he was expecting his first child.

The family's happiness was interrupted, however, when Judy's father, Rudy Sussman, had a heart attack while spending time at home with his family. The family was well aware that Rudy's side had a history of heart attacks, so much so that Judy would find herself bargaining with God to keep her father alive.

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Judy Blume, 1979
Credit: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty

Sadly, a month before her wedding, Rudy died. Not only did it break the bride's heart because he would miss making memories on the special day, but also because of how much Rudy had supported Judy in pursuing her dreams and taking risks.

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Oppenheimer writes that Judy's soon-to-be in-laws showed up with her fiancé after hearing the news, reassuring her they would take care of the wedding while she was in the thick of grief.

Judy's own mother was unemotional in her grieving process, wanting the family to maintain a certain image. As a result, they were intent on the wedding moving forward as planned.

"The Blumes' rabbi told Judy that a Jewish wedding must never change the date," Oppenheimer writes. " 'You must get married, no matter what,' he said."

Judy complied and married John Blume on August 15, 1959. Though the wedding went forward, it was more of a "sad and bittersweet" scenario than the bride had pictured.

"I was not strong enough to say, 'No, I'm not doing that,' " Judy later stated. When she did feel moments of happiness, she quickly felt "incredibly guilty" to be enjoying the life milestone.

"My new husband didn't know how to comfort me or help me through that. Not his fault. He just didn't know how," Judy said of the situation, noting it was "a really tough way to start a marriage."

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