Judith Ann Kreitz

Judith Ann Kreitz (nee Brown) passed the morning of August 25th, 2025, and the world dimmed as a result. Judy is survived by her husband James, her four sons (daughters-in-law) Thad (Heidi), Kurt (Jennie), Eric (Toni) and Broc (Ashley) and her cherished grandchildren Emma, Lily, Ryne, Ben, Karis, Meredith, Isaiah, Rowan, William, Naomi and McKenzie. Her return home to Christ has reunited her with her precious daughter, Kasia, who passed 8 years prior. Rejoice.

Judy was pure light, an angel on this Earth that radiated love and compassion for all living things, especially the vulnerable or broken. She was devout in her faith in Christ and in her purpose as a mother and grandmother. She gave all of herself, utterly, for the health and happiness of her children, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren. Her love was visible in all things, massive or microscopic, like finding corners in hospital rooms to sleep when we had our tonsils removed so we wouldn’t wake up alone, or ignoring the debilitating pain of her Chron’s disease to watch her daughter compete in the Special Olympics, or in the explosion of untamed emotion after being told she was going to be a mother-in-law or a grandmother. She was there for us, always, when in need or not, fulfilling the purpose she cherished: being a mother.

If you were blessed to know Judy, you knew love, warmth, and grace, regardless of whether you were part of her massive extended family or a friendly neighbor. The vulnerable, the weak, the lost or the broken, found refuge in her spirit, a passion that connected her to the Lord. The gravity of her compassion was immense, drawing children, parents, and several lost animals into our childhood home to provide them safe haven from their despair.

Her reach transcended biases, pretension, and past sins, to love fiercely and unconditionally without self-interest or self-indulgence. Her embrace was genuine and forceful, instantly evaporating sorrow and fortifying you with the irrepressible truth that you were wanted and that you mattered. Everything was going to be alright, because she made it so. She put herself in between you and your darkness, regardless of its roots, and lifted you above the waterline.

Even in her battles with her illnesses, she remained selfless, always concerned with being a burden. Adverse to being the center of attention, she would not want the masses that love her to feel sorrow, but rather to celebrate and to rejoice that she is now with her Lord and in the embrace of her sweet Kasia for the first time in 8 years. So, we will celebrate, because the life of a person of her immense impact should be celebrated. But, in the end, our celebration will not be enough, just like these words are not nearly enough to reflect the true impact of her life. We look to the Lord for his guidance and comfort. Only with the Lord can we find the warm embrace of our mother, as she rocked and hummed softly to console us in our sorrow. Only with the Lord will the world continue to spin, the sun will continue to rise, and the immutable light of Judy Kreitz will continue to resonate through all of those she blessed with her beauty and grace. Rejoice.

Judy is also survived by her beloved sisters-in-law Candy Bockus and Sue Kreitz, her brothers-in-law Robert Bockus and Don White, and many nieces and nephews.

Judy was also preceded in death by parents Roy and Gertrude Brown, sisters Carole Michels, Joan McCue and Jean White, in-law parents Donald and Margerie Kreitz and brother-in-law Donald Kreitz Jr.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, please consider donating to either St. Jude’s’s Children’s Hospital https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html or to the Special Olympics  https://support.specialolympics.org/a/give-in-your-state.