Judy and Jack "Granny & Papa Jack" Hereford
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Judith was born on March 14, 1930, in Kokomo Indiana to Louis and Katharine Panchot. She graduated from St. Louis University with a BSN and went on to earn an MSN from Mizzou. She loved nursing and worked tirelessly to serve the needs of those around her. Judy helped open Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, loved working in the neonatal unit, also worked with Polio patients. Judy has always been doing things, finding problems or needs, and working on fixing them or fulfilling them. She is a lifelong learner. She has spent a lot of time with dying people and is extremely compassionate to anyone in need in that stage of life. She can also get very frustrated if people tell her she can’t do something or shouldn’t.
Jack was born on May 4, 1932, in Mexico, Missouri of John Robert and Melba Reid Hereford, and grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended St. Louis University and worked as an engineer in the fields of optics, aerospace, aviation, etc. He holds several patents.
Jack and Judy married in 1954.
Judy and Jack loved having a bunch of children, Christmas was a big event every year. Jack often made toys like a child-size kitchen or a hot-rod and Judy sewed new outfits for each child. For many years, the family packed up their entire Christmas, including gifts and even the Christmas tree, and went to Oklahoma to celebrate with Judy's parents. Jack and Judy always enjoyed their children's and grandchildren's visits and their success.
Judy enjoyed sewing, reading especially Taylor Caldwell, watching black and white moves and musicals, watching the symphony, and listening to opera. She founded People Against Domestic Violence and helped address many public health needs in Franklin County. Judy was a lifelong health educator, teaching nursing courses and teaching the general public CPR, First Aid, Home Nursing, and Babysitting classes with the American Red Cross. She wrote "The Living End" a book on the medical, spiritual, and emotional aspects of death and dying. Judy was the 24-hour nurse line for her children and grandchildren, helping new mothers in the family. In her later years, she enjoyed childcare with her grandchildren. Judy enjoyed helping people that others forget, being a phenomenal nurse, and studying health issues her entire life, studying psychology and wellness.
Judy enjoyed seeing plays and going to the MO Botanical Gardens. She always had sewing projects, making many, quilts and clothes to give as gifts. She also loved making handmade dresses for the Patch Neighborhood Center in south St. Louis who helped.
Jack worked as an engineer, first at MacDonnell Aircraft in St. Louis, and later starting his own consulting business. He enjoyed taking the impossible and even the unthinkable and designing simple and elegant solutions. He had a lifelong love of flying, was a licensed pilot, and even designed built his own airplanes and airplane engines. It was a special treat for Jack to take his family flying. Once he got airborne, he would take his hands off the controls, turn to the person next to him and say: it's all yours. In this way, he shared his love of flying with children, grandchildren, inlaws, and friends.
Jack loved sharing stories, and one particular story concerned photographing the eclipse in a high-speed jet over Africa. Jack gathered with family on August 21, 2017, for an eclipse watch party in New Haven. Jack says he enjoyed the total eclipse more the second time, sharing it with family and friends.
Jack and Judy volunteered with New Haven Ambulance Service and are credited with comforting many and saving lives. Judy also gave classes to help certify other volunteers.
Jack and Judy made several trips to Scotland, England, and Wales celebrating Jack's Scottish and Welsh heritage. They visited their daughter Amy who was studying in Belgium, and on that trip, Judy delighted in a short side trip to Switzerland and France with Amy. Jack and Judy enjoyed road trips together. They drove to the great lakes, visiting lighthouses along the way. In their later years, they also enjoyed shorter road trips through rural Missouri, sometimes frustrating their children by disappearing for a few days with no notice.
Dad passed away on October 31, 2020, at Julie’s where he lived his last few months, surrounded by love and care. Several of us took turns sitting with Dad in his final hours.
Mom passed away the morning of November 7, 2020, at the Arbors memory care in Washington Missouri, where she has spent the last years of her life. In the past weeks, we had the opportunity of spending time with her in her room.
May they rest in peace.
They are survived by their children Rob, Tom, Amy, Phil, Chris, Julie, Ray, and Andy Hereford, Jessica Hoskins, and Molly Mebruer, and by twenty-two grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild, relatives, and friends.
The funeral for Judith P and John R Hereford will be live-streamed on Wednesday, November 25, 2020 at 11am CT. It will be live-streamed: https://fb.me/e/1Z9JneGps
Donations in lieu of flowers may be made in honor of Jack Hereford to New Haven Scenic Regional Library https://scenicregional.org/donate/
Donations in lieu of flowers may be made in honor of Judy Hereford to Patch Neighborhood Center https://gracehillsettlement.org/give/donate-now/