Judith Givens Housley

Judith Givens Housley (Judi), 86, passed away peacefully on March 14, 2026 in Birmingham, Alabama. Born in Mt. Vernon, Indiana to Stacy and Carol Givens, Judi’s life carried her to Hot Springs, Arkansas and St. Louis, Missouri before she ultimately made her longtime home in Starkville, Mississippi.

A devoted educator and speech-language pathologist, Judi earned her bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University and, later, her master’s degree from Mississippi State University. Her career began in St. Louis where she worked for the Special School District of St Louis County. This is also where she met her future husband Warren Housley. After they married and moved around to accommodate Warren’s graduate degrees, they landed in Starkville where Judi briefly taught kindergarten at First United Methodist Church. She went on to serve as a speech-language pathologist in the Maben school district and later in the Starkville Public School system until her retirement in the early 2000’s.

Warren and Judi married just six months after their first date and shared 59 years of marriage before Warren’s death in 2021. Their partnership was one of devotion, humor, and shared interests. Together, they raised two daughters and eagerly welcomed sons-in-law and grandchildren to the family.

Judi was a woman ahead of her time. Long before being a “tree-hugger” was cool, she proudly embodied the spirit of one. She was always creatively re-purposing objects normally bound for the trash, and she utilized rain barrels and composting decades ago. She found peace and purpose in the natural world through gardening, eventually becoming a Master Gardner in Oktibbeha County. Judi had a gift for creating warm, welcoming spaces, and she poured that same creativity into decorating her home and hosting gatherings where everyone felt cared for and at ease.

A woman of quiet faith in God, Judi preferred to let her actions speak for her beliefs. She served in leadership and volunteer positions at both First United Methodist Church and Trinity Presbyterian Church. Judi poured her heart and time into her work at Trinity, and found it immensely gratifying. Her legacy lives on in the family she loved, the students she guided, and the countless small acts of care that defined her life.

Judi was preceded in death by her husband, Warren Frank Housley, parents Stacy and Carol Givens, sister Carolyn Thompson, and brother Danny Jo Givens. She is survived by her younger sister Nancy Butler, daughters Stacey Simpson (Scott), Julia Waterman (Daniel), grandchildren Jennifer Simpson, Mary Lachney (Carter), Jack Waterman, Lydia Seenath (Rishe), Clara Desmarais (Sam), and Mary Grace Waterman. She is also survived by great-grandchildren Elizabeth Gray, Abigail, and Katherine Lachney, and several nieces and nephews.

The family would like to extend profound thanks to special friends Megan Sisk and Carla Venible who loved Judi, and supported us through the many phases of her later life.