Judith Ann "Judy" Endsley

Raised in a hotel for the first six years of her life in a rural mid-Ohio town that attracted people from near and far, Judith Ann "Judy" Endsley of Marion checked out of this earthly plane on January 8, 2026 at her home at the age of 87.

Born Judith Ann Conrad on May 11, 1938, the only daughter of Dr. Jesse M. Conrad and Leona (Rogers) Conrad, her parents and grandfather, Dr. Jesse F. Conrad, ran the Conrad Hotel in Magnetic Springs – known widely for the healing power of its water. (The town's water would magnetize a nail if soaked overnight.) Visitors would travel great distances via shuttles, buses and trains to receive healing steam baths, play cards and other indoor games, or shuffleboard outdoors.

She learned early the ways of a working life at the hotel and on the family farm south of Magnetic Springs, developing a love of riding horses that she attributed to "big screen" stars such as Roy Rogers and Gene Autry.

After graduating from Magnetic Springs High School in 1955, she married Melvin Foos in 1956 and worked on the family farm. "One winter it was bitter cold," she recalled. "I would go out for 15 minutes and then have to come back in to get warmed up. It would take all day as we had beef cattle and hogs."

That same year she went to work for Union Implement Co., a John Deere distributor in Marysville, where she worked in the office, maintained parts inventory and ordered and picked up parts and appliances. (She soon learned that appliance transport might not be her thing; one day, driving in Columbus with two refrigerators in the back of a pickup truck, she negotiated a corner at an ill-advised rate of speed and one of the fridges toppled onto its side.)

By the mid-1960s, her love of numbers was evident and her career in balancing books and leveling ledgers had begun. "I've always felt I was at my best when I was working with numbers," she once said. And work them she did, for a variety of industries – agricultural, health care, communications and automotive.

She worked for three years for Mid-Ohio Farmers Co-op, in Richwood, serving as secretary/ bookkeeper, keeping inventory and buying/selling on the grain market. Then she met Dr. Richard Mills at a wine-tasting event. An internal medicine physician in Marion, Dr. Mills hired her as personal secretary to execute payroll, supervise accounts receivable and maintain personal and corporate checkbooks. She also acted as liaison between physician and the professional management firm regarding investments, tax/accounting issues, pension and profit-sharing plans. She later worked for Comprehensive Family Health Care, Inc. in Marion.

Answering the call to shift gears in 1978, she began what became an 18-year career with General Telephone and Electronics/Verizon as an insurance benefits specialist, maintaining employee insurance records, balancing monthly premium reports and providing insurance information and counsel to employees and retirees.

Her thirst for knowledge and desire to explore and learn were endless. She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in business from Ashland College in 1982 and an associate degree in computer science from Marion (Ohio) Technical College in 1991. She also studied accounting at Ohio State University.

In addition, she was employed for several years doing administrative work for the Women's Business Council and working for a private tax firm.

Quite by accident, she went to work in 2013 for Herb's Body Shop in Marion. A mishap left her car in need of repair. Herb's obliged – then asked whether she'd be interested in balancing the company's books for the company. She worked part time at Herb's the last 10 years of her life.

Hearing and heeding a totally different call as her 80th birthday grew closer, she began work as a program aide for Turning Point, a domestic-violence shelter in Marion. She answered phones and provided other front-desk coverage, often working late-night hours. She later became a finance assistant at Turning Point, saying that role "was more to my inclinations."

She rather enjoyed the balance of working with almost exclusively men at the body shop and women at the shelter to be good for her.

Always the outdoorswoman, she enjoyed gardening and was a member of the Progressive Buds garden club. For many years, she maintained a koi pond and fountain in the tidily manicured back yard of her Marion home and became attached to the game of golf after marrying her second husband, James M. "Jay" Endsley, in 1977.

She is survived by sons Lee (Joan Berridge) Foos of Richwood, and Mitchell Foos of Shickshinny, Pa.; daughter Melinda (Michael) Pavlechko of Worthington; grandchildren Chelsea Foos, Stormy Foos, Scott (Lauren) Pavlechko, Nicole Thacker, Alex (Naomi) Pavlechko, Skyler (Frances) Foos and Marlee (fiancé Jim Kaufman) Pavlechko; and great-grandchildren Liam Foos, Theodore (Theo) Pavlechko and Benjamin (Ben) Pavlechko.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. Jesse M. Conrad and Leona Rogers Conrad; first husband, Melvin Foos; second husband, James M. "Jay" Endsley; brother, Jesse Lee Conrad; and daughter-in-law Carol Ann Foos.

Services Celebrating Judy's Life will be held Wednesday January 14, 2026 at 7:00 pm at the Stofcheck-Ballinger Funeral Home in Richwood. Pastor Karl Haught will officiate. Friends may call two hours prior to the service beginning at 5:00 pm at the funeral home in Richwood.

Private burial will take place in the Claibourne Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Palace Cultural Arts Association, 276 W Center St, Marion, OH 43302, supporting the Palace Theater in Marion or Marion Area Humane Society, 2264 Richland Rd, Marion, OH 43302.

Condolences and remembrances may be expressed at www.stofcheck-ballinger.com