Judith S. Brenneke

JUDITH S. BRENNEKE. On Wednesday, February 8, 2023, Dr. Judith S Brenneke passed away at the age of 77 in Mayfield Heights from issues related to vascular dementia. Judith was born on August 24, 1945 in St. Louis, Missouri to Calvin and Coral Staley. She spent most of her childhood in Kirksville, Missouri. She was awarded her doctorate at Northern Illinois University. She met her future husband and life/work partner, Dr. John “Jack” C. Soper, at Northern Illinois University and lived with him until his passing in 2013. Dr. Brenneke was the author of 15 books and numerous articles relating to economic education. In 1988, Milton Friedman awarded her the National Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise from the National Federation of independent Business. Dr. Brenneke was also the first two-time recipient of the prestigious Leavey Foundation Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education. In 1984, while serving as co-director, she helped establish the Annual Wine Auction to benefit the Center of Economic Education at John Carroll University. In 2000, she was awarded an Emmy for her work as Executive Producer of ‘Science is the Solution’ with WVIZ PBS Cleveland. Prior to retirement, she was a part time professor of economics at John Carroll University. She was a lifelong educator who loved working with others to make the world more understandable and approachable. She sought to elevate and expand the way people thought about the world, specifically economics. Dr. Brenneke is survived by her daughter Michelle K. Brenneke and her stepchildren through Dr. Soper: Aileen Marie Soper (with her children Lyla and Ivy) and Charles Volney Soper. Online condolences and guest registry www.diciccoandsonsfh.com