Joy Lieberman

Though only 4’9” at her tallest, Joy was a giant to both her family and her community.

Born Mignon Joy Orenstein April 7, 1931, in St. Louis Missouri, Joy (as she preferred to be known) graduated from University City High School in 1947. Joy maintained a life-long dedication to University City Schools, serving on the University City Board of Education for 24 years, and the Joy Lieberman Learning Center, University City’s alternative high school, is named in her honor. All of her children graduated from University City schools. Joy is recognized in the University City High School Hall of Fame, alongside two of her children.

The daughter of Evelyn (Essman) Orenstein and Jacob Orenstein, Joy grew up with her younger brother Morton (“Moe”) Orenstein and a large extended family of Orenstein’s in University City, just blocks from her final residence in the U.City Loop. Aside from a year in college, and a brief stint in Chicago, Joy lived in University City her whole life. Those who knew her couldn’t imagine her anywhere else, and neither could she. Even in death, her final resting place is in University City overlooking Olive Street Road, where her advocacy to install a stoplight so her children could cross safely to school sparked her political career.

While in high school, eight years before Brown v Board of Education, Joy published an article calling for racial integration in schools, and interpersonal relationships, calling on fellow young people to integrate their social circles. Joy lived those values herself, attending integrated parties in the 1940’s, and later becoming active in the civil rights movement. Joy continued to be a fierce life-long advocate for racial justice, refusing to move out of her north University City neighborhood when it was block busted in the 1960s, speaking out against the racist fear tactics that contributed to housing discrimination and white flight. She later served as a commissioner on the Missouri Commission on Human Rights from 1978-1983.

Joy was also an accomplished musician, attending the prestigious Interlochen Music Academy camp in Michigan, and matriculating at University of Champagne-Urbana as a music major, focused on piano and clarinet.

But that degree never came to fruition, as she was spotted on her first day of college by a young Larry Lieberman, back at college for his senior year after serving in the navy in the South Pacific during WWII. He called her that night to ask her out, and six weeks later they were engaged, married the following year on November 24, 1949, and enjoyed 64 years of marriage.

Three children came soon thereafter, David (1950), Mark (1952) and Sharon (1954), and Joy dedicated her life to them, serving on numerous PTOs. Half a generation later, two more children were added, Denise (1969) and Daniel (1972).

At a time when many couples would be downsizing, Joy and Larry upsized, finally buying the large house of their dreams (also in University City), so they’d have a place where their adult children and grandchildren could gather. And gather they did, every summer, every birthday, every thanksgiving, and every Passover, tables spilling out of the dining room to include everyone who wanted to attend. There were no strangers; friends, community members and political leaders frequently joined the table.

In the early 1980’s Joy joined Rabbi Susan Talve as the first staff member of the newly formed Central Reform Congregation, the only Jewish Congregation within the City of St. Louis. An inclusive, progressive community focused on Tikkun Olam (repair of the world), Joy spent over 30 years on staff at CRC, most of it at the front desk as the first person people would see upon entering the synagogue. There Joy sat, often with her beloved dog Mazel, and then Bagel, who it was often joked, were her “favorite” kids. After them came Latke, who laid by her side on her final days.

Even with all these accomplishments, it was Joy’s kind, loving and caring personality that she’ll be remembered for the most. Never forgetting a birthday, never missing an opportunity to show she cared, it was often said that she epitomized her name by bringing so much Joy to the world.

Joy is survived by her son David Lieberman (Donna); Mark Lieberman; and Daniel Lieberman (Shavon) and her daughter Denise Lieberman; as well as her grandchildren Myrrh Larsen, Jude Lieberman, Debbie Lieberman, Emily Nevels, Jake Nevels, Wendi Thompson, Rachel Lieberman, Aaron Lieberman and Devin Lieberman; and her great-grandchildren Jackson, Archer, Major, Joliene, Mila, Liam, Silas, Brooks and Selah Joy, who was named in her honor.

Joy was preceded in death by her brother, Morton Orenstein, sister-in-law Grace Orenstein, her husband Lawrence “Larry” Lieberman, and her daughter, Sharon Cohn.

In lieu of flowers, Joy requests donations to the University City Education Foundation, Central Reform Congregation, Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation; and asks all who knew her to get in “Good Trouble” to make their communities a better place.

A private graveside service will be held at Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery in University City. A Memorial Service at Central Reform Congregation will be planned for a later date.