Mignon Joy (Orenstein) Lieberman, died peacefully at home on May 21, 2026, at the age of 95.

Though only 4’9” at her tallest, Joy was a giant to both her family and her community.

Born Mignon Joy Orenstein April 7, 1931, in St. Louis Missouri, Joy (as she preferred to be known) graduated from University City High School in 1948. Joy maintained a life-long dedication to University City Schools, serving on the University City Board of Education for 24 years, and as a delegate to the National School Boards Association. The Joy Lieberman Learning Center, University City’s alternative high school, is named in her honor. Joy was a fierce life-long advocate for racial justice and served as a commissioner on the Missouri Commission on Human Rights from 1978-1983. In the early 1980’s Joy joined Rabbi Susan Talve as the first staff member of the newly formed Central Reform Congregation, the only Jewish Congregation within the City of St. Louis, where she worked for over 30 years, often accompanied by her beloved dog Mazel, and later Bagel.

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Joy is survived by her son David Lieberman (Donna); Mark Lieberman; and Daniel Lieberman (Shavon) and her daughter Denise Lieberman; as well as her grandchildren Myrrh Larsen, Jude Lieberman, Debbie Lieberman, Emily Nevels, Jake Nevels, Wendi Thompson, Rachel Lieberman, Aaron Lieberman and Devin Lieberman; and her great grandchildren Jackson, Archer, Major, Joliene, Mila, Liam, Silas, Brooks and Selah Joy, who was named in her honor.

Joy was preceded in death by her parents, Evelyn (Essman) Orenstein and Jacob Orenstein, brother, Morton Orenstein, sister-in-law Grace Orenstein, her husband Lawrence “Larry” Lieberman, and her daughter, Sharon Cohn.

In lieu of flowers, Joy requests donations to the University City Education Foundation, Central Reform Congregation, Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation; and asks all who knew her to get in “Good Trouble” to make their communities a better place.