Growing up in Kansas City, Judy attended grade school at St. Elizabeth and high school at St. Teresa Academies. She attended Fontbonne College in St. Louis as a Performing Arts major and later pursued a master’s degree in Theater from Northwestern University, where she adapted and produced several plays.
After graduation from Fontbonne, Judy entered the convent, Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in St. Louis. For more than 25 years she taught in Kansas City and St. Genevieve, Mo. where she worked with students in Theater, Speech and Debate and sponsored the Glee Club before establishing a fund-raising department for St. Teresa’s which built the Goppert Center for women’s athletics on campus.
After leaving the religious community, Judy successfully launched a second professional career in fund-raising, always with a focus on organizations that help others—Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, providing free legal advice to low-income communities; Focus St. Louis, a premier leadership training that promotes diversity and cooperation; and, the most rewarding to her, the Humane Society of Missouri where for more than 15 years she upgraded annual development efforts and raised significant funding during two major capital campaigns for Longmeadow Rescue Ranch and the Best Buddy Pet Center in Maryland Heights. After retirement, Judy poured her joyful energy into her community as a Board member at Midtown Community Services.
Judy’s had a passion for traveling the globe -- Cambodia, China, Cuba, Africa, Europe, Russia, Scandinavia, and the Mideast—there was nowhere she feared going, always with her little carry-on bag. She was committed to the Ready Readers program, loved her longstanding book clubs, and believed everyone should read. She also was a connoisseur of dance, art, music and the theatre. She was a passionate progressive, volunteering for causes and candidates at all levels.
Devoted to her friends whom she considered family, Judy loved to share good food and wine with them in the home she adored on Tower Grove Place. She took special joy in the loving Fisher family next door—Samantha and Darin, and their wonderful children, Stella, Evie, and Crosby who were the grandchildren she always wanted.
Judy is survived by her brother and his wife, Joe and Giana Miniace, and her nephew Joey, who was her pride and joy.
A memorial service and celebration of life will be at St. Cronan Catholic Church in St Louis on Tuesday, August 3 at 2 p.m. with a reception to follow at the Stone Shelter Pavilion in Tower Grove Park.
Memorials may be made to the Judy Miniace Research Fund in honor of Dr. Gustave Eisemann
Fund #32151
This fund supports lupus research and the Lupus Clinic with Alfred Kim, MD, PhD at Washington University in St. Louis.
To contribute to this fund, donations can be made by . . .
Check
Make the check out to “Washington University.”
In the memo line (or in an accompanying letter), write “Judy Miniace Research Fund in honor of Dr. Gustave Eisemann” and fund #32151.
Mail the check to:
Rachel Hartmann
Washington University in St. Louis
MSC 1247
7425 Forsyth Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63105
Credit Card
A gift can be made online, using this link:
Disregard the top box that says: “I want to support:” Go to the “I prefer to enter my own designation.”
Fill that in with “Judy Miniace Research Fund in honor of Dr. Gustave Eisemann #32151”. Or you can just type in fund number 32151.
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