Judy Pfister

Judy Pfister, 81, passed away peacefully from cancer complications on Feb 7 th in Napa Ca.

 God dispatched an angel when Judy Pfister was born on October 9 th, 1944 in

Watertown, New York to Clyde and Eurith Metcalfe. After high school graduation, Judy

worked in a manufacturing plant for a while, and then, at age 19, met a handsome

soldier, Frank Pfister. They married at St. James Catholic Church in Carthage New

York, and once he got out of the service, moved to California. While he made many

promises, the best one was taking her out of the cold, frozen north.

They had 3 boys, Kevin (Nicole), Frank Jr (Monica), and Tim (Laura). And she got busy.

right away raising them into the fine men they are today. Judy loved her life as a mother

and kept things moving at home until the boys grew and started their own families.

When her sister died, she brought her nephew, Justin LeDoux, into their home and

raised him as her own. Frank and Judy were married for 60 years.

Judy had an artistic flair. Immuring herself in craft-making, she started a business

selling her dolls, and “everything else” at craft shows around the local area. Admitting

that she was once “one of those people who don’t get involved,” her life changed one day.

It was at a craft show where she was introduced to Molly Banz and asked to attend a

meeting about helping people. It was a transformational experience. For the next

18yrs, Judy was a dedicated staff member of Molly’s Angels, logging thousands of miles

each year, driving people to medical appointments throughout Napa County. While she

was technically employed as the agency’s administrative assistant, Judy pitched in to do

just about everything. She was a recognized voice on the other end of the phone for

hundreds of lonely people isolated at home. She grew to love many people, and

learned about history, relationships, and what it’s like to grow old.

With a reputation as “good company,” Judy shared a life with many friends and family

members. She had an unsurpassed love of golfing, and eventually Frank built them a

small putting green as the front lawn of their Napa home. Her annual camping trips

included lots of laughter, margaritas and swapping stories at Cassini Ranch. She was a

faithful devoted grandmother to nine grandchildren, Nicholas, Jonathan, Kyle, Megan,

Maraih, Austin, Jessie, Justin and Lynette and 2 great-grandchildren Nora and Casey.

Mostly, though, Judy was known for her spirit and lightness. She had a ready laugh

and truly appreciated a good joke, sometimes, even a bad one. Able to size up people

right away, Judy knew who to trust and when to say it out loud. With a sixth sense of

honed intuition, she could spot the truth about most, right away.

She also had a reputation for fun. Her close friend, Fran Rosenberg, wouldn’t share

any of the stories of their shenanigans, but she did say, “Most of the things we did, we

did together and we can’t let anyone know.”

That’s why we celebrate Judy, because while she takes many secrets to her grave,

she’s leaving the brightness of her light behind to shine on the rest of us.

She will be greatly missed by all those she touched. As she was dying, she was happy

and looking forward to meeting those loved ones who went before her.

To truly honor Judy’s life, have a good laugh. Then, have another.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Molly’s Angels.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Judy Pfister, please visit our floral store.