Obituary of Judith Frances Powers

Judith Frances “Judy” Powers, born on March 14, 1933 to Frank and Hazel Baehr in New Orleans, Louisiana died on September 8, 2021 in Houston, Texas. 

She was the youngest of three daughters having twin sisters named Joyce and Joan.  At her death, she was the last remaining member of her original family.

Judy attended the Academy of the Sacred Heart for 12 years and then attended Sophie Newcombe College in New Orleans.

In November of 1954 she married Denny Powers and moved from New Orleans to Houston, Texas where she was blessed with three daughters: Pamela, Cynthia, and Julie.

Her early years of marriage were spent caring for her family and was involved in activities such as Girl Scouts, sports, and dog-training.  In the early 1970s, she focused her efforts on caring not only for her daughters, but for her husband who was injured in a chemical explosion where he sustained multiple burns requiring many months of care.

From there she focused her efforts preparing her daughters for high school, college graduations, weddings, and grandchildren.  Judy and Denny enjoyed spending extended time at their river house in Hunt, Texas.  Over these years the family grew to three sons-in-law, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

When Denny retired, Judy become a world traveler, visiting 24 countries for the next 15 years including their twice yearly visits to Cabo San Lucas.

Judy served her community in various ways and was a devout Catholic serving as a Eucharistic Minister beginning in the year 2000.  She loved life, her family, her friends, her dogs, and her God.

Surviving family members include her loving husband, Denny Powers; daughters, Pam Powers and Dan Russ, Cynthia Powers and Paul Babiarz, Julie and Homer Reyes; grandchildren, Christopher and Wendy Cleboski, Stephen and Kelsie Cleboski, Matthew Sorrels, Allison and Spencer Hinojosa; great-grandchildren, Olivia and Andrea Cleboski, Owen Hinojosa; as well as six nephews and two nieces in New Orleans.

Many thanks are due to the tireless dedicated efforts from Marleny Bonillo Rodriguez, Fatima Alas, Carolina Martinez and others.

Judy was a loving, gentle, person always ready to embrace life and live it with great gusto.  Her life was filled with love, family, travel, shopping, friends, and her dogs.  What more could one ask for?

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to the Sisters of the Incarnate Word on Bradford Street in Houston, Texas; St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Houston, Texas, Sacred Heart Academy in New Orleans, Louisiana, Golden Beginnings or a charity of your choice.

A visitation will begin at 4:00 p.m., with a Rosary at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, September 16, 2021 at Joseph J. Earthman, 234 Westcott Street in Houston, Texas.

Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., Friday, September 17, 2021 at St. Anne’s Catholic Church, 2140 Westheimer Road in Houston, Texas.