Judy Liefeld

Judith “Judy” Liefeld (Foss) May 17, 1943 – July 9, 2025

Judith May Elizabeth Liefeld (née Foss), of Ballwin, Missouri, passed away peacefully, surrounded by love and music. Born in Minneapolis on May 17, 1943 — famously in the backseat of a car en route to the hospital — Judy’s life was marked by grace, humor, and quiet strength.

She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, nurse, baker, and quilter, whose laughter and care touched everyone she met. A graduate of the University of Minnesota’s Licensed Practical Nursing program, she served with compassion throughout her life — in hospitals, in homes, and in the hearts of her family.

Judy married the future Rev. David Liefeld in 1972, and together they built a life of faith, family, and service across Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Missouri. With each new home, Judy brought not just warmth, but adaptability — whether donning bib overalls to help in the garden, learning to butcher chickens, redistributing food through the local co-op, or reconnecting with her Norwegian roots by mastering lefse in a Minnesota parsonage kitchen. In Pennsylvania, she returned to nursing while raising her family and became a trusted leader in the church — teaching Sunday School, leading Vacation Bible School, and serving as Chair of the Board of Education. In Missouri, she found sisterhood and joy with the “Wacky Tackers” quilting group, stitching beauty and laughter into every gathering. She was known for her cinnamon rolls and spice cake, her steady presence, her dry wit, and the sparkle in her eyes when talking about her children and grandson.

In her final years, as memory loss set in, Judy found new joy through creative expression — spending hours coloring and completing art projects that filled her days with purpose and beauty. Her pages came alive with color, reflecting the vibrancy that still lived within her. Her humor remained, too — gentle, surprising, and full of grace.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Margaret Foss, her stepmother, Helen Foss; her brother, Capt. Robert Foss USN; her nephew Stephen; and her sisters-in-law Beverley and June. She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Dave Liefeld; her children, Phil (Colleen) and Kate; her grandson, Clayton; her brother-in-law and sister-in-law Don and Jan Liefeld; her nephew Brian Liefeld; and her nieces, Rev. Elizabeth Foss and Amy Olson — along with so many others whose lives she touched with tenderness, humor, and heart.

To know Judy was to feel safe, to smile often, and to be loved in quiet, lasting ways. Her legacy lives on in every quilted stitch, every loaf of bread, and every burst of laughter. Her faith carried her through every chapter of life — and held her gently at the very end.

Funeral details will be forthcoming; no immediate service is planned. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in Judy’s honor may be directed to Meramec Bluffs, 1 Meramec Bluffs Drive, Ballwin, MO 63021, Attn: Business Office. Please make checks payable to Meramec Bluffs Benevolent Care. Donations can also be made online at: https://www.billerpayments.com/app/donationsui/?bsn=lssdp#/donations/payment