Judy Ann Oefinger Hays, 84, of Brownwood, Texas, went to Heaven fully alive and healed on May 4, 2026. Judy was born to Benjamin and Lela Grace Oefinger on February 2, 1942, in Hondo, Texas, on Groundhog Day, a detail her family could never let pass without a smile.
Judy graduated from Woodsboro High School, where she was remembered not only for her academic success but also for her stellar basketball skills. Her sons loved to tease her about those basketball high scores, along with her lifelong love of dachshunds, many of whom grew wonderfully fat and happy under the care of Judy and Kenn.
After high school, Judy graduated from Southwest Texas State University with a teaching degree and began what would become a long and meaningful career in education. She first taught at Central High School in San Angelo, and it was during that season of life that she met Kenn Hays, the love of her life. Together, they built their home and raised their two sons, Brian and Dennis, in Brownwood.
Judy spent much of her teaching career with Brownwood ISD. She loved her classroom, loved the children she taught, and retired after more than 30 years in education. Many of Judy’s dearest friendships were formed with those who shared her heart for teaching, learning, and caring for children.
Judy and Kenn were longtime members of Central United Methodist Church, where their faith and friendships were a steady part of their lives. Judy had a kind, generous spirit. She was very selfless. She always wanted to know how everyone else was doing and how she could help. She wanted to know how your day and week were, how your hunt went, and how the grandkids were doing. She had a great sense of humor. She loved to watch the Texas Rangers and Aggie football. She was cheerful and met adversity with a positive attitude. If she was ever struggling, you had to look hard to see it because she did not complain. She loved people and made others feel special. Although her faith was a huge part of who she was, she never pushed it on others. It was simply evident that her faith was her strength, and that alone served as a beautiful testimony to all who knew her.
Judy was a loving and devoted mother to her boys, and her daughters-in-law can attest to the generous and tender spirit with which she loved them as well. But perhaps her favorite role of all was becoming a grandmother. When her first grandchild was born, Judy would spend hours holding, talking to, and gazing at the baby. Her sons joked that the babies must have thought her face was the “sky,” and from that sweet observation, her beloved grandmother name, Skye, was born.
Skye embraced that name with her whole heart. Her grandchildren were her favorite hobby and greatest joy. She loved reading to them, playing with them, watching them grow, and sitting with Kenn on the porch as the children played. Kenn and Judy’s home was often full of children and grandchildren, laughter, stories, and the kind of love that made everyone feel welcome. In later years, Judy also had the joy of knowing and holding her great-grandchildren.
Judy loved deeply and easily. She enjoyed a special relationship with her brother David and his wife, Dorthy, and she especially loved being an aunt to Tammy, Sherri, and Jenny, with whom she shared a close and cherished bond. She was always delighted to see her nieces, nephews, and their children grow and build families of their own. Judy loved everyone she came across, and her kindness left a lasting mark on those blessed to know her.
Judy was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Kenn Hays, in 2007, and by her parents, Benjamin and Lela Grace (Reily) Oefinger of Hondo.
Judy is survived by her oldest son, Kenneth Brian Hays, and his wife, Amy (Hyatt) Hays, and their children, Mason Hays and his wife, Ashton; Kendall (Hays) Christensen and her husband, Luke; and Jackson Hays. She is also survived by her great-grandchildren, the children of Mason and Ashton: Elliott, Parker, and Lincoln Hays. She is also survived by her youngest son, Dennis Hays, and his wife, Tracy (Hicks) Hays, and their children, Will Hays and Blake Hays. Judy is also survived by her brothers, David Oefinger and wife, Dorthy, of Austin, and Larry Oefinger of Hondo; her nieces, Tammy, Sherri, and Jenny; her nephews, Chris and Cameron; and many extended family members and friends who loved her dearly.
Judy was lovingly cared for throughout her life by faithful friends and her Brownwood ISD family, and later in life by the kind staff at Chatfield Assisted Living and the compassionate hospice staff who cared for her and her family.
A private graveside service was held on Friday, May 8, 2026, where Judy was laid to rest beside Kenn. A celebration of Judy’s life will be held at Blaylock Funeral Home in Brownwood on Saturday, May 30, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
In honor of Judy’s life, the family asks that she be remembered through acts of love rather than flowers. Those wishing to honor her memory may make a donation to the Brownwood Education Foundation in support of teachers and students, a cause that reflects Judy’s lifelong love for education. The family also invites consideration of a gift to Alpha-Omega Hospice Brownwood, whose care was a blessing in Judy’s final days.
Judy’s life was full of faith, family, teaching, laughter, porch-watching, dachshunds, and children she loved well. She leaves behind a legacy of gentleness, devotion, and steady love, the kind of love that made her family grateful to call her Mom, Mother-in-law, and most especially, Skye.
Arrangements entrusted to Blaylock Funeral Home of Brownwood.