Lody Therese Esch "Teddie", 66 of Warrensburg, Missouri passed away at home on Sunday September 27 2020 from heart problems.

Teddie was born November 6, 1953 in San Diego, CA to Francis and Leokadja Hepner. However, she grew up in Bellingham, WA with her mother and two siblings, Sandy and Robert (Bobbie), Teddie being the youngest of three after their Dad died in an automobile accident at an early age of  29. Her growing up years were difficult years without a Dad and a very strict mother. A whole story could be written on those years alone, foster homes, etc. With that in mind, she had to eventually make her own way at the legal emanicipated age of 18 after completing high school at Bellingham High. Without receiving any support from Mom or a Dad or other family members save Uncle George, her mother's brother, she learned to waitress and wait on tables as she was raising her unplanned arrival of her first born, Morris a.k.a. Jay. Relationships would  prove to be somewhat to mostly difficult through her first 20 or so adult years. Her son Jay was born November of 1972 and her daughter Kimberly born January of 1975. With two young children, she managed as best she could to provide them with a two parent home as she always had yearned for herseif as evidenced in later years by her need to see her father's grave at the naval base in San Deigo, a father she never knew.

Fast forward to February 1995 enters Philip Esch. They met as waitress and customer. Without going into any detail, they became man and wife, December 16, 1995. They truly fell in love. It was remarkable. Teddie became much more outgoing as witnessed by her friends who could see that Phil and Teddie's relationship was special looking in from outside. (They loved the movie "Always" with Richard Drefuss and Holly Hunter).

Teddie became much freer to be empathetic to other's needs probably because she could relate out of her own experience. Many family and friends said of her as in the following example from Mike our previous landlord, "She was an incredible person and I always loved talking with her. Teddie was real to the bone just a straight forward great person to be with" or from her daughter-in-law Cindy, Teddie was a woman of her word. If she said she was going to do something, she did it". She loved holidays especially with family; kids, grandkids and maybe Phil….just kidding. She was good at making friends and being a friend. As her daughter-in-law, Cindy put it, "She was a woman of love." Even though she and Phil went through some difficult times together their love for each other was never in question. As in any relationship there are good times and "lousy" times.

Teddie was truly an example of how our extenuating circumstances do not have to define who we are now or later.

Teddie, we loved you while you were here and will remember you "Always".

Memorial Services will be 2:00 p.m. Thursday, October 8, 2020 at Williams Funeral Chapel in Warrensburg, Missouri with Father Joe Bathke of Warrensburg Sacred Heart Catholic Church officiating.

The family will receive friends one hour prior to the memorial service.

Memorials are suggested to The Lody Esch Memorial Fund in care of the funeral home.

Online condolences may be left at www.williamsfuneralchapel.net