Judy Rifenberg

There are some lives that shine quietly but unmistakably—lives that don’t demand attention, yet draw people in with warmth, steadiness, and grace. Lives that leave a mark not through grand gestures, but through thousands of small, faithful acts of love. Judy Rifenberg lived one of those lives.

Her story began in the rural countryside Athens, Michigan, where she grew up on her family’s 40‑acre property. It was a simple upbringing—one room schoolhouses, chores, animals, and the kind of childhood that teaches you to work hard, appreciate what you have, and find joy in the ordinary. Her father, a Navy veteran who later worked for Kellogg, raised Brittany Spaniels. Her mother was a homemaker who taught Judy to sew. Judy and her younger brother John grew up surrounded by fields, fresh air, and the kind of freedom that shapes a child’s imagination.

Those early years planted seeds in Judy that would grow throughout her life: a love for animals, a deep work ethic, a gentle spirit, and a quiet resilience. She graduated from Athens High School in 1961, not yet knowing how profoundly her life was about to change.

In June of 1964, Judy attended a Sunday night service at Wakeshma Community Church. She didn’t know it then, but that evening would alter the course of her life. Mutual friends introduced her to a young man named Jim - a man whose steady presence, sense of duty, and deep devotion would become the anchor of her world. They married one year later, in June of 1965, beginning a partnership that would last more than 60 years. Their marriage was not just a union—it was a calling. They walked through military service, police work, parenting, farming, ministry, hardship, joy, and countless ordinary days side by side. Judy often said that God’s timing was perfect, and meeting Jim was one of the clearest examples of that truth.

Jim served as a Military Police officer, including a year in Vietnam. He then spent his 42 year career in law enforcement in an around Kalamazoo. Judy embraced the life of a policeman’s wife with courage and loyalty. She understood sacrifice. She understood long nights, unpredictable schedules, and the weight of worry. And she carried it all with grace.

Together, they built a life defined by faith, family, and service.

When Ray and Rebecca were born, Judy stepped fully into the role she cherished most.

She was a stay‑at‑home mom, but that phrase hardly captures the depth of her devotion. She was present, patient, playful, and endlessly encouraging. Rebecca’s earliest memories are simply of her mom being there—teaching, playing, listening, guiding. Judy taught her to read before kindergarten, taught her numbers, and nurtured her confidence so deeply that she skipped kindergarten entirely. She made learning fun. She made childhood magical.

Ray remembers feeling like the most special kid in the world. Judy was his biggest fan—at every game, every milestone, every moment. She cheered until her voice was gone. She celebrated every success and comforted every disappointment. She believed in her children fiercely, and that belief became the foundation of their confidence.

Sports became a family rhythm, and with it, travel. Ray and Rebecca played six sports between them, and both were star athletes in college. Judy and Jim attended all their games near and far, creating mini vacations for the family to support each athlete. If games came on the same night, Judy and Jim split up so Ray and Rebecca both had cheers from the stands. Their presence was a constant, unwavering expression of love, from little league diamonds, to cold wet football fields in the fall, to basketball bleachers, to jogging a cross country race course to find her runner and cheer her along, to college stands around the country. This commitment continued through her other accomplished grandchildren excelling in high school and college sports. Nothing could dampen her fierce support.

Judy’s home was a haven—not just for her own children, but for their friends. She raised her kids with a pool in the backyard, and a flag sewn by her own hands. When the flag was up, neighborhood kids knew they were welcome. And the flag was up most of the time.

She created an upbringing that her children describe as “idyllic.” She created a home that felt safe, warm, and full of joy.

Judy’s faith journey began when a friend led her to Jesus as a young woman. That moment became the turning point of her life. From then on, her faith was not just something she believed—it was something she lived. She read her Bible daily, he shared Scripture memory cards, and she prayed faithfully for her family. She served her church with humility and joy. One of the most profound expressions of her faith was her work with the Celebrate Recovery ministry of Kalamazoo Community Church, and later K2 The Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. Judy had a heart for women who were hurting - women carrying trauma, addiction, brokenness, or shame. She saw them not as they were, but as God saw them. She mentored them, encouraged them, and walked with them through some of the darkest valleys of their lives. Her granddaughter Audrey said it best: “She turned heartache into ministry.” Judy understood suffering. She understood perseverance. And she used her own story to lift others up.

She also poured her energy into Mary Kay Cosmetics, where her hard work and leadership earned her the iconic pink Buick. But more than the achievement, she loved the relationships—the chance to empower women, encourage them, and help them believe in themselves. Her faith was not loud. It was lived. It was steady, humble, and deeply rooted.

Judy and Jim always loved the country. Having homesteads in Galesburg, Vicksburg, Hopkins, and Three Rivers, they periodically raised dogs, cattle, even pigs and a pony. Eventually they built a log home on 20 beautiful acres in Scotts, Michigan, where they raised alpacas, chickens, and guineas. They created a life full of animals, laughter, and hard work. Their alpaca farm became a place of wonder for their grandchildren. The Grandkids remember summer visits filled with chores, sunshine, and the joy of leading baby alpacas on a rope. Judy worked tirelessly - never resting until the chores were done, even in the heat. Her work ethic was unmatched.

They collected alpaca fiber and turned it into wool socks - the warmest, softest socks imaginable. It was a small thing, but it reflected who Judy was; resourceful, creative, and always finding joy in simple accomplishments. Animals were drawn to her gentle spirit. Her home was always full—of animals, of family, of love.

If motherhood was her calling, grandmotherhood was her delight. Judy was the kind of grandma who got down on the floor to play, who built forts and tents, who created “kids camp” experiences every time the grandkids visited. She was patient, affectionate, and endlessly supportive. Rebecca says her mother was “a dream grandma”—never critical, always encouraging, always ready to help. She was there for every birth, every milestone, and every game she could possibly attend.

Audrey remembers long conversations, phone calls full of curiosity, and a presence that felt calming and safe. She felt she could tell her grandma anything. Judy was thrilled to know she would become a great‑grandmother to Audrey’s baby.

Jack remembers porch swing conversations that lasted late into the night—talks about life, faith, dreams, and everything in between. Those moments are treasures he will carry forever. Judy loved deeply, and she loved well.

Life was not always easy for Judy. She endured pain, trauma, and health struggles. But she never let hardship harden her. Instead, she transformed it into compassion. Ray says she instilled in him a toughness - a belief that life will bring challenges, but what matters is how you respond. She taught perseverance not through lectures, but through example. Even in her final years, as her health declined, she remained steadfast. She faced suffering with courage and faith. She never complained. She never lost her sense of humor. She never stopped loving others.

Jack, who works in healthcare, was able to comfort her during her hospital stays. He held her hand, eased her fears, and gave back to the woman who had spent her life caring for others. It was a sacred exchange — grandson comforting grandmother, love flowing full circle. And through it all, Judy remained unafraid of death. She was ready. She was peaceful. She was confident in her eternal home. She would say, “I don’t think I belong here much longer,” not with fear, but with anticipation—ready to walk into heaven, meet Jesus, and reunite with loved ones who had gone before her. Her faith gave her courage. Her courage gave her peace. Her peace gave her family comfort.

Judy’s life was defined by love - love for her family, her faith, her community, and the countless people she mentored and encouraged. She had phrases that became part of her legacy: “I love you back.” “I love the stuffins out of you.” She meant every word.

Her son‑in‑law Bill says she became a mother to him from the moment he entered the family. She supported him, encouraged him, and stood by him without reservation. She and Jim attended his baptism when his own parents did not. That moment shaped his faith journey forever.

Her son Ray says she made him feel like the most special person in the world. She laughed at his jokes, celebrated his successes, and loved him unconditionally.

Her grandchildren say she was gentle, affectionate, curious, and deeply relational.

Her husband Jim says that after 60 years together, he still feels like she’s just in the next room. He misses her every day. But he is comforted knowing she is no longer in pain, no longer suffering, fully restored in the presence of the Lord she loved.

Judy lived a life of meaning - a life shaped by faith, strengthened by perseverance, and overflowing with love. She was a wife, mother, grandmother, mentor, friend, and servant of Christ. She was gentle and strong, humble and wise, tender and resilient. She gave everything she had to the people she loved.

Her legacy lives on in her children, her grandchildren, her great‑grandchildren, and in every life she touched through her ministry and her kindness. She leaves behind a world made better by her presence. A family shaped by her love. A faith strengthened by her example. And a story that will be told for generations.

Judy lived a full, beautiful, wholehearted life. And she is remembered with gratitude, admiration, and deep, enduring love.

Please join us in celebrating the life of Judy Rifenberg, devoted, beloved, and faithful wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and friend, went to heaven peacefully on April 15, 2026 at the age of 82.

Born Judith Lou Ford in 1943, her walk with the Lord didn't start until her late teens. She found Jesus not much before she found Jim, her future husband. God's timing was perfect. From that point on, her faith was not simply a part of her life—it was the very foundation of it. She cherished and nurtured her family and friends, knowing she was held by a faithful God who would one day call her home. That certainty gave her strength through every season and peace in her final days.

She spent almost 61 years married to her loving husband, James Rifenberg. He survives her, as do the families of their children, Ray and Rebecca, who she loved and raised with a fierce and tender loyalty. Their respective spouses, Cynthia and Bill, were welcomed into the family over 30 years ago with equal care and adoration. Judy saw marriage, motherhood, and grandmotherhood not as duties but as her highest calling. She was their constant servant: rising early for them, staying up late to listen, cooking, cleaning, encouraging, correcting, forgiving without keeping score, and praying ceaselessly for them. Her kitchen table was a place of safety and laughter; her lap was a refuge; her words were full of grace and truth.

To her husband, she was his partner and best friend. To her children and grandchildren, she was simply “Mom” and “Grandma” — with the steady, sacrificial heart of a Christian homemaker, she never missed a chance to spend time with and pour love over her four children, six grandchildren, their five spouses and partners, and two great-grandchildren with another one on the way. Ray (II), Brittany, and Ray (III) Rifenberg; William, Sydney, and Grace Green; Renee Rifenberg and Griffin Platto; Audrey, Ben, and Baby Haupt; Ryan Rifenberg; Jack Green and Jay Wood… all were loved powerfully by Judy, as were her three honorary children, Peter Junoy, Holly Ledyard-Junoy, and Stephanie McDowell, and her brother, John Ford, and many nieces and nephews and special friends.

In addition to her rich family legacy, she passed on her deep love and care for animals, specifically the beautiful alpacas and other farm animals she and Jim personally raised on their 20 acre farm in Scotts, Michigan. Also her deep compassion for hurting people was evident to all her knew her, but especially those in a ministry called Celebrate Recovery, where Judy mentored women who have experienced trauma, loss, and/or addiction.

Judy was a steadfast friend and encourager to a countless many... impacting lives of neighbors, colleagues in Mary Kay Cosmetics, couple friends, church family members, extended family, and even dear friends of her children and grandchildren. Two of her favorite refrains were “I love you back” and “Jesus loves you and so do I.”

“She has fought the good fight, she has finished the race, she has kept the faith.”

- 2 Timothy 4:7

Well done, good and faithful servant.

You are now fully restored.

Your days of pain and suffering are gone, and you will know nothing but abundant joy and love for the rest of eternity, and we will join you there someday.

Judy Rifenberg, age 82 of Salt Lake City, Utah, died on April 15, 2026. She was born September 25, 1943, in Kalamazoo, Michigan to Henry H. Ford and Lucille Jane (Knapp) Ford. Surviving are her husband, Jim Rifenberg; children: Ray (Cynthia) Rifenberg, Rebecca (Bill) Green; grandchildren: Ray (II), Brittany, and Ray (III) Rifenberg; William, Sydney, and Grace Green; Renee Rifenberg and Griffin Platto; Audrey, Ben, and Baby Haupt; Ryan Rifenberg; Jack Green and Jay Wood; brother: John Ford; many nieces and nephews and special friends.

Please join us for a Life Story Service on Saturday June 27, at 12 noon at Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900 followed by a reception. Doors open at 11:30 am. Judy expressly wished for her memorial to feel less like a funeral and more like a family reunion—filled with connection, stories, and the comfort of being together.

Celebrate Judy’s life online by sharing your favorite stories and photos on her dedicated webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital, Wounded Warrior Project or Celebrate Recovery c/o Saddleback Church.