Barb died of lung cancer caused by radon. When she was diagnosed, she was determined to “live well with a chronic illness, instead of die from a disease”. And live she did. She promptly went zip-lining! She retired at the top of her career, where she excelled by treating all of her coworkers as family. She fulfilled her retirement dreams by growing gardens and sharing produce every year and raising a puppy and a kitten. Barb went on her dream photo safari to Africa to see all the big animals – by herself! – and was instantly beloved by the rest of her travel group who made sure she got the best views and shared all of the best photos with her. Barb was a terrible photographer.
More than anything, she loved to care for her family and her definition of “family” extended to friends, neighbors, and anyone she saw regularly in her life. Barb tended to them and grew them with the same acceptance and care that she grew her garden and her pets. She wanted every living thing to follow their path, follow their dreams, and be accepted and loved for exactly who they are.
Barb loved butterflies, flowers, the color blue, Christmas lights, dark chocolate, traveling, and walking with her dog. For all that she loved, she was the fiercest, strongest, most determined person. She stood up for her family, her friends, herself, and anything she believed in with a spirit that was exponentially larger than her physical body. She intimated and pushed aside anything that threatened the people she loved. Barb was the living embodiment of ‘big things come in small packages’. Her fighting spirit and determination to live well every day instead of being distracted by the challenges of a sometimes difficult life was passed down in full to her children and grandchildren.
The world is a little less without her.
Cremation/No Services
Memorials in lieu of flowers to the Capital Humane Society, 2320 Park Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68502