Obituary: Judith A. Pilz
Judith Arlene (Noel) Pilz was born April 15, 1940, in Halliday, Arkansas, to Samuel Purvis Noel and Opal Marie (Hampton) Noel. She departed this life peacefully at The Arbors in Rolla, Missouri, on March 19, 2025, at the age of 84 years and 11 months.
She grew up in the small rural town of Halliday, Ark., where her parents owned a general store, central to the community. After graduating from Marmaduke High School at the age of 17, Judy attended Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Ark., to become a teacher. Her first teaching job was in Strawberry, Ark. Though beginning her career as a business teacher, she later earned her master’s degree at Southeast Missouri State to teach remedial reading.
Judy married the love of her life, Gerald (Jerry) Pilz, in 1965. They shared 52 years of marriage, until his death in 2017. They were blessed with four children; Jenifer S. Pilz, John C. Pilz, Chris N. Pilz, and Kerry M. Pilz. Jerry and Judy worked their entire teaching careers in rural public education. They were employed in several districts over the years as teachers, and later Jerry as principal and basketball coach, including: Corning, Strawberry and Knobel in Arkansas, and Perryville, Marquand, Annapolis, Altenburg, Vandalia, Dent-Phelps R-III, and Richwoods School near Sullivan, in Missouri. Jerry and Judy were avid supporters of youth sports, especially basketball.
Judy was a loving and devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She enjoyed her years as a teacher and always loved to see former students out in public and hear of their lives since she had them in the classroom. Judy was of the Lutheran faith and she and Jerry attended Faith Lutheran Church in Branson, Mo., during the years they lived there. She touched many lives for the better of both her family and friends, as well as countless children during the decades of her career, and will be greatly missed by them all.
Judy is preceded in death by her parents, Purvis and Marie Noel; her husband, Gerald A. Pilz; her youngest daughter, Kerry Marie Pilz; her sister, Scottie Stevens; and her cousin (raised as her sister), Lou Ann Kingston.
She is survived by her daughter, Jenifer Pilz; her son, John Pilz ( Maria); her son Chris Pilz (Angie); her 13 grandchildren, Aliou Coulibaly (Jenali), Jerred Coulibaly (Cheyenne), Emmanuel Coulibaly, Eli Coulibaly, Tara Pilz Stokes (Jerad), Sara Pilz, Kara Pilz Dowell (Justin), Jordan Pilz (Cheyenne), Lauren Pilz Colbert (Michael), Cameron Pilz, Ashton Pilz Hopp (Zach), Addison Pilz Hurd (Dawson), and Aldon Pilz. She is also survived by 19 great-grandchildren; Kenzey Coulibaly, Adien Coulibaly, Cali Coulibaly, Kahail Coulibaly, Sophia Coulibaly, Jade Thompson, Coralie Stokes, Rowan Stokes, River Stokes, Cedar Clayton, Ciela Clayton, Salem Dowell, Shepard Dowell, Brecken Wilmoth, Baylor Colbert, Braxtyn Colbert, Logan Hurd, Wesley Hurd and Palmer Hurd. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and cousins.
Services for Judy will take place on Thursday, March 27, at 11 a.m. at Faith Lutheran Church, 221 Malone St., Branson, Mo. Visitation will precede the service from 10-11 a.m. at the church. Burial and graveside service will be at 1 p.m. at the Missouri Veteran’s Cemetery in Springfield, Mo. Funeral arrangements are under the services of Greenlawn Funeral Home in Branson, Mo.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Special Olympics of Mid-Missouri, to support the great work they do for differently-abled young athletes, including Judy and Jerry’s daughter, Kerry.
