Kay Westbrook

Elizabeth "Kay" Westbrook, 77, of Columbia, passed away on July 22, 2015, at the Bluffs in Columbia, Missouri. Visitation will be Friday July 24, 2015 from 6:00 - 9:00 pm with rosary at 6:00 pm, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. A Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 am Saturday July 25, 2015 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.

Kay was born September 10, 1937 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Her parents were Morris M. and Sarah Jane Farris. Kay and her three brothers, Tom, Phil and Pierce, grew up in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Kay excelled academically in the Fort Smith Public Schools and at Hendrix College and Duke University.

Kay and her husband Jim met at Hendrix College and were married in Ft. Smith on December 23, 1956. They spent the first years of their marriage in Durham, NC, where Kay studied English and Jim studied Law.

Kay’s life was marked by strong commitment to her family and her religious faith. Her sons, Mike, Bruce and David, her daughters-in-law Kathy and Amy, and her grandchildren, Daniel, James, Collin, Laura, Benjamin, and Noah were a joy and a source of unending interest.

Wherever she lived, Kay was active in church and Bible study groups. She taught Sunday School, served as superintendent of Sunday School and played a significant role in establishing a church library at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. She taught an adult Bible study class at Lourdes for several years. Her book Enter Into The Joy was published in 1996 by Pauline Books and Media in Boston.

Kay is survived by her husband Jim, three sons, six grandchildren, two daughters-in-law and two brothers, Phil and Pierce.

Her life echoed the title of her book. She “entered into the joy” and this truly benefited several churches and those who knew her, especially her family.

Memorial Contributions may be made to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 903 Bernadette Drive, Columbia, MO 65203 or the University of Missouri Law School Foundation.

Many people have helped our family, but we would especially like to thank Msgr. Michael Flanagan and the Lourdes Parish staff and members, Dr. Michael Lefevre, Dr. Joel Shenker, the staff of Right of Home, The Terrace and The Bluffs, the Team of Care from Hospice Compassus, and the University of Missouri Law School Community.