Obituary – Kerry M. Pilz
In loving memory of Kerry Marie Pilz, born September 21, 1973, in Paragould, Ark. She passed away July 3, 2023, in Columbia, Mo. Kerry was the youngest daughter of Gerald and Judith (Noel) Pilz.
Kerry was born with hydrocephalus and had her first surgery at only 28 days old. When Kerry was very young, the family basically lived in Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. Kerry’s parents were teachers in Marquand, Mo., at the time. She had many stays in the hospital over the years, but went on to have a happy and successful life.
Kerry is survived by her mother, Judith; her older brothers, John Pilz and Chris Pilz, and their families; and her older sister, Jenifer Pilz, and her family; and also many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her father, Gerald Pilz, who passed away in February 2017; her paternal grandparents, Henry Rienhold Pilz and Mildred Pilz of Perryville, Mo.; and her maternal grandparents, Purvis and Marie Noel of Halliday, Ark.
Kerry was the cute and endearing little sister of her family. She grew up in several rural towns in Missouri: Marquand, Annapolis, Des Arc, Jackson, Vandalia, Salem, Rolla, Licking, Lake Springs, Columbia, Marshall and Booneville. As rural school educators, the whole family spent much time at the schools, and during times of Kerry’s surgeries, much time at the hospital.
Kerry graduated from Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, Mo. Kerry had most recently been living in Booneville for the last 16 years. She was of the Lutheran Faith and her parents were former members of Faith Lutheran Church in Branson.
She was very outgoing and made lots of friends in life. She participated in Special Olympics in tennis, bowling and swimming. Kerry loved riding horses and she participated in therapeutic riding. She loved doing crossword puzzles on a daily basis.
Kerry was a fan of country music, especially Kenny Rogers. Elvis Presley was her favorite musician of all time. She enjoyed going to see musicians in Branson with her mom and dad. She had an excellent memory and remembered everyone’s birth date. She had lots of friends at the Sisters Day Program including staff and students.
Funeral services were held at Greenlawn Funeral Home in Branson on Monday, July 10, 2023, at noon and burial followed at 2 p.m. in the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Springfield, Mo. Visitation was held from 11 a.m. until service time noon.
Instead of sending flowers, if you would like to make a donation, you could make one to the Missouri Special Olympics Association of Central Missouri, at https://support.specialolympics.org/a/missouri?ms=IDMP_DB&utm_source=donatebtn&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=IDMP.
