Judy Plassmeyer

Judith Carol Plassmeyer, 73, of Belleville, Ill., born December 3, 1941, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, passed away Sunday, July 12, after a four year battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her family at her home in Belleville, Ill.

Born to Alta, nee Doan, and Roy Looney, Judy spent 42 years in the field of education, which she loved. She graduated from Jackson High School in Jackson, Missouri, in 1959. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Southeast Missouri State University in 1962, with an emphasis on English, Speech, and Speech Therapy. She earned a Masters of Science in Speech Language Pathology from SIU-Edwardsville in 1984 and a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from Lindenwood University in 2009. She taught most of her career in elementary speech language pathology; twenty four of these years were at Whiteside Elementary School. The final 13 years of her career were spent as the Special Education Coordinator at Whiteside Elementary School. She leaves behind the most important things in her life: A loving husband of 52 years; her daughter, son, and grandchildren; a devoted career to special needs children and families; and numerous special friends from the educational field that are too numerous to mention- you know who you are, and I love all of you! Love, hugs, and kisses! Words cannot describe how loving and devoted her husband , Ken, was throughout their marriage. He was her best friend and love of her life. She was also blessed with two beautiful children and five exquisite grandchildren, who were the lights of her life. Special memories from Judy’s life include adopting two beautiful and bright children; the births of five grandchildren; living a wonderful life with Ken; working in the educational field; and picking cotton in the bootheel of Missouri as a pre-teen!

Judy was preceded in death by her parents, Roy and Alta Looney; and her sister, Jane Starwalt.

She is survived by and will be missed by her husband, Ken Plassmeyer; her daughter and son-in-law, Jill (Plassmeyer) Smith and Doug Smith; her son and daughter-in-law, James Plassmeyer and Jenny (Wiethop) Plassmeyer; and her five wonderful grandchildren, Natalie, Ian, and Matthew Smith; and Wil and Cole Plassmeyer.

Memorials may be made to the Siteman Cancer Center, CB1204, 7425 Forsyth Blvd., St. Louis, MO, 63105 or to the Whiteside Education Foundation, 111 Warrior Way, Belleville, IL, 62221.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.valhallagardensandfuneralhome.com

Visitation: Friends may call from 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday, July 16, 2015 at St. Henry Catholic Church, Belleville, Ill.

Funeral: A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 16, 2015 at St. Henry Catholic Church, Belleville, Ill., with Father Kenneth York officiating. A private family burial at Valhalla Gardens of Memory, Belleville, Ill.

Valhalla Gaerdner Holten Funeral Home, Belleville, Illinois