Esther Jeanette Windmuller Obituary (1967 - 2017)

Born Jun 11, 1967, Esther Jeanette Windmuller attended J.R. TUCKER High School in Richmond, VA. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Esther Jeanette Windmuller.

Graduation Year	Class of 1985
Date of Birth	Jun 11, 1967
Date of Passing	Mar 16, 2017
About	Unknown month and day of birth.
Events	WINDMUELLER, Esther Jeanette, 50, passed away after a more than seven-year battle with ovarian cancer. She is survived by her husband, Kyle Nicholas; her mother, Evelyn; her brother, David, and his wife, Lori; and her beloved niece and nephew, Leah and Aaron; and many other loving family members. She was predeceased by her father, Fred Windmueller. She will be remembered by many hundred others who counted her as a friend. A life-long resident of Richmond, Esther attended Tucker High School. She received her bachelor's from Douglas College at Rutgers University and her law degree from the University of Richmond. Esther began her legal career in 1992. She served the public interest as a Public Defender for five years and then opened her own criminal defense practice. Her career highlights include serving as President of the Richmond Criminal Bar Association, President of the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, founding member/co-chair of the Virginia Criminal Justice Conference, member of the Board of Governors of the State Bar Criminal Law section, and member of the Virginia Sentencing Commission. She served as a substitute judge for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit for over a decade and also served for 11 years as an adjunct professor of Trial Advocacy at the University of Richmond School of Law. She was a former member of the John Marshall American Inn of Court and a founding member of the Lewis F. Powell Jr. American Inn of Court. In addition to her many professional accolades, Esther was admired in our legal community for her engaging personality, her enthusiasm and dedication to her profession, and her joy in mentoring others. She was a passionate advocate for justice and fairness and made friends of her counterparts in the legal system throughout her career. In addition to these professional associations, Esther also served on the Board of the Virginia Holocaust Museum, and the Emek Sholom Holocaust Memorial Cemetery, life member of Hadassah, and was an enthusiastic and loving Big Sister to Monique. Somehow, she also found time to enjoy women's football and soccer with the Chesterfield leagues. She loved to sack the quarterback. After her cancer returned quickly, Esther and Kyle formed CancerDancer, a nonprofit aimed at educating women about ovarian cancer and providing comfort and advocacy for them. She touched dozens of women directly, inspiring them to take control of their own cancer journey, and gather together to support each other. CancerDancer continues to provide comfort care kits for newly diagnosed patients and provide support group services. Many cancer survivors are called fighters, and few have fought longer and harder than Esther. She participated in seven clinical trials, and numerous other lines of treatment. She was particularly proud to endure the trials, knowing that her experience, no matter how difficult, would make a contribution to women of the future. She came to know and love her medical team and they came to admire and love her in return. Esther loved to travel with her husband, Kyle. Together, they journeyed to South and Central America, South Africa, and Southeast Asia, along with many trips throughout the United States and the Caribbean. She made friends at every stop and people from those trips still keep in touch. She was a skilled game player, a passionate reader and a big fan of VCU basketball and the Kansas City Chiefs. But her special talent was in seeking out the people who needed her, showing them that they were loved, and nurturing them as part of her flock of friends. No one who met Esther will ever forget her. For further information on memorial services, please check the CaringBridge site or contact Bliley's Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: CancerDancer, P.O. Box 7416, Richmond, Va. 23221.