Judith “Judy” Mary (Hoar) Geoghegan

It is with profound sadness that the family announce the passing of Judith “Judy” Mary (Hoar) Geoghegan, of Chesterfield, Missouri. She received the traditional sacrament of anointing and died peacefully on January 10, 2018 in the company of her son, Mark. She was born November 20, 1936 in Worcester, Massachusetts, to Leo J. Hoar, an oil industry executive, and Evelyn (Simmons) Hoar, a homemaker and artist. She was raised in a variety of places due to corporate relocations, including Kirkwood, Missouri; Atlanta, Georgia; and New Rochelle, New York. She attended Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York. It was in New Rochelle where, as a teenager, she met her future husband, Walter “Wally” B. Geoghegan, Jr. – while Judy was trying to catch her dog in their abutting backyards. Judy and Wally were married in 1957 and began their family in New England. Judy and Wally settled in Kirkwood, Missouri, in 1968 where they raised their six children and a menagerie of pets.

Judy worked as a travel agent for ten years. She spent her retired years between homes on Peaks Island, Maine, and Bald Head Island, North Carolina, where she hosted and entertained countless family and friends. She had an incredible ability to make strong and loyal friends wherever she went and enthusiastically shared her interests and passions with them, including cooking, knitting, reading, and travel. She moved back to the St. Louis area in 2011 where she remained active in writing and book clubs, and played bridge regularly. She was a committed Francophile and ice cream lover. She was a die-hard New Englander, sun-worshiper, and Yankees fan. Her faith was strong and important, contributing to her significant quality of resilience.

She was preceded in death by her mother (1989), father (1995), and husband Wally (1985). She will be lovingly remembered by her children, Walter “Woody” (Karen) Geoghegan, III, Leo Mark (Carolyn) Geoghegan, Kenneth Geoghegan, Mary Lee (Mark) Stephens, Judy Burbach, and Maureen (Annice Tatken) Geoghegan. She is survived by her twelve prides and joys, her grandchildren, Patrick, Molly, and Leo Geoghegan; Ellie and Finn Geoghegan; Meggie, Connor, and Haley Stephens; and Alex, Kyle (Maggie), Eric, and Peter Burbach. She is survived by her brother Leo J. (Georgine) Hoar, Jr., sister Nancy Lee (Hoar) Gunning, whom she talked with every day, six dear nephews and nieces, and five grand-nephews.

A memorial mass and celebration of Judy’s life will be held at 10:00am, February 24, at St. Peter’s Church in Kirkwood, Missouri. All are welcome.