Stacey Gibbs Lehr loved as she lived — fiercely, unapologetically, wholeheartedly. She was blessed with many gifts. Perhaps most admirable was her compassion for others and capacity to give. She took everything thrown at her with grace, gratitude and generosity.
Her spirit and impact will live on forever.
Stacey was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017. At one hospital visit, she received a care package to ease the burden of her cancer treatments. She immediately asked that the care package be given to another family who needed it more. Once out of the hospital, Stacey made a donation to ensure that others continued to receive the care packages.
The cancer returned in 2020 with a dire prognosis. She battled gracefully and tenaciously and defied the odds for longer than anyone expected. Even during the darkest and most heart wrenching moments of her battle she always found moments of gratitude to appreciation. Stacey would always take time to point out and appreciate our blessings; our happy and healthy kids, our love and support for each other; our amazing family and friends, our access to resources and capacity to battle. In addition to constantly reminding us of these blessings, she never missed an opportunity to connect with others she met along the way—always with an eye toward finding a way to help them.
It was hard for us to comprehend her constant gratitude and focus on others, but eventually we learned that even our darkest hours have moments of light, and no matter our circumstances there was always capacity to give to others. Stacey set a shining example of how to live with love, laughter, grit, and grace—no matter what.
Witnessing how Stacey lived and experiencing how she loved, it was clear to us that she wanted her legacy to be one of light, love, and generosity. It is with her example and ethos that we created the Stacey G. Lehr Foundation to continue Stacey’s legacy of love, generosity and compassion for others. The foundation will focus its efforts toward causes Stacey was passionate about, and our family has been forever impacted by: Supporting young women, mothers and children impacted by cancer.
– Kent, Jude, Louis and Olivia Lehr
Stacey loved a good party - any reason to celebrate was good enough for her. So it was fitting when Steph, Em and I decided we would celebrate her birthday each year with a dinner, inviting family and close friends to come celebrate Stacey and share memories and stories. As the foundation began to take shape, we thought combining an annual event in support of the foundation with her birthday could be a fitting way to celebrate her and bring awareness to her causes. Save the date for the 2025 event on September 20, 2025 at Embassy Club West!
What started as small talk to pass time during countless hours in waiting rooms, hospitals and infusion centers had come to life, thanks to so many amazing family and friends that crossed paths and became part of Stacey’s story over the course of her life. To all of you, thank you. Thank you for showing up and being part of this next chapter in the story of Stacey. Thank you for helping continue her legacy. Thank you for your generosity. Most of all, thank you for helping us create something to help others dealing with a terrible diagnosis.
The Stacey G. Lehr Foundation was created to continue Stacey’s legacy of love, generosity and compassion for others. The foundation will focus its efforts toward causes Stacey was passionate about, and our family has been forever impacted by: Supporting young women, mothers and children impacted by cancer. In our first year we raised over $130,000 through the support of family, friends, and key sponsors. Iowa Radiology was named our first annual Pink Sky Award receipent for the care they provided Stacey and the substantial gift made in her honor. Our aim is to raise $1 million in the next five years and then continue double our efforts. We will not stop until there is a day where wives will grow old with their true loves, and children will receive hugs and kisses from their mother throughout their lives.
We have partnered with the Des Moines Community Foundation to help bring these efforts to life.
You can support the foundation by shopping at Pink Print Co, attending our annual fundraiser, donating below, or all of the above.
