City Council Member Libby Warfield dies of cancer at 65; Vandegrift says she made him a better mayor

Libby Sharon Warfield

Midway City Council Member Elizabeth "Libby" Warfield lost her long battle with cancer Saturday, Feb. 24.

Warfield, 65, was one of the first certified interior designers in Kentucky and an accomplished musician. She played at least eight instruments and provided music for church services, weddings and funerals in the Bluegrass for more than 50 years. She was the wife of David Allen Warfield.

In 2012, Warfield filed to run for the city council, on which her son, David Matthew Warfield, and her mother, Jean Sharon, had served. She withdrew from the race because she was diagnosed with stage-four cancer of a salivary gland. The cancer grew into her facial nerves, which caused one side of her face to be permanently paralyzed. Elected to the council in 2014 and re-elected in 2016, she was known for her independence, thoughtful consideration of issues, and detailed questioning.

Other than her husband and son, she is survived by her daughter, Wendora Jean (Jonathan) Creech; two grandchildren, Austin Murphy Creech and Mackenzie Frances Creech; two sisters, Peggy Sharon and Cindy (Philip) Karrick; and several nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held at Clark Funeral Home in Versailles on Tuesday, Feb. 27 from 4 to 7 p.m. The funeral will be held at Midway Christian Church at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28, followed by graveside service at the Midway Cemetery and a fellowship meal at the church. For the full obituary, click here.

The City Council will appoint a member to serve out Warfield's term, which runs through Dec. 31.

UPDATE, Feb. 25: Mayor Grayson Vandegrift released one of his occasional "Messages from the Mayor" in reaction to Warfield's death:

By Grayson Vandegrift

Mayor, City of Midway

            Midway City Council Member Libby Warfield passed away on Saturday, Feb. 24, and although I knew it was likely coming, I had believed until the end that Libby would pull through. She was never the kind of person who gives up, because Libby was a fighter, and she fought valiantly in her battle with cancer.

            Libby and I ran the gamut in our service together. We often disagreed with each other, but we also agreed on more than you’d think. We could be exasperated with each other one day and then work on something together the next. In all honesty, we saw the world very differently, but we never stopped talking to each other, and we always acknowledged that although we disagreed, we knew that we both cared equally.

            I wrote Libby a letter a few weeks ago, telling her that although we drove each other crazy on most days, I had come to realize how much I missed that in her absence. I told her that she was challenging and incredibly hard-working, and that she made me a better mayor. My experience with Libby echoes the old adage that our critics are our friends. Although my relationship with her was based on our service together, I feel like I’ve lost more than a colleague, I feel like I’ve also lost a friend.

            My heart goes out to all of her family and friends in their time of grief. Rest in Peace, Libby.