Rod and Judy Gilbert walk the red carpet before the 2007 Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Toronto (left) and on vacation in Greece in 2018, their final trip abroad. Getty Images; courtesy Judy Gilbert
She cherishes a sterling silver locket that her husband had bought not long before his death.
More accurately, Gilbert had his stepdaughter, Brooke, buy it for him and tuck it away for safekeeping. In fragile health, he knew his days were short as he battled cancer and he wanted the locket to be a way that his wife, Judy, could keep him close to her heart after he was gone.
When the time was right, Gilbert would offer Judy the gift. Now was the time, in his final days last August, living in hospice care in the couple's upper east side apartment.
Father Donald Baker, the priest of Church of St. Monica in New York, met Brooke in the lobby of the apartment building and rode 33 floors up. There he blessed the locket and gave it to Gilbert, who presented it to his wife. In it were the two photos he had chosen: one from the couple's 1991 wedding day, the other of himself smiling.
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Four days later, Gilbert was gone. Father Baker would celebrate the life of the Rangers cornerstone five nights later at St. Monica's in a 75-minute memorial service.
"Rod just wanted me to have something," Judy Gilbert said of the locket.
Of course, the iconic Rangers forward had given his wife, and countless more, a great many things.
Indeed, he is woven into the Rangers uniform, so important to the organization that forward Chris Kreider wept, Judy Gilbert said, upon winning the inaugural Mr. Ranger award last April. The prize will be presented annually to the player "who best honors Rod's legacy by exemplifying leadership qualities both on and off the ice and making a significant humanitarian contribution to his community."