And... Life Continues...?

What a weekend.  What had such a beautiful day celebrating such a beautiful life.  I feel so happy that we were able to create a day that was so perfect, so sweet, so Barbara.  I was so touched by our family and friends who attended, truly.......the gift of just simply "being there" is so meaningful and so powerful especially to the broken hearted.

In memory of Barbara Louise Starr

Barbara Louise Starr, daughter of Theodore and Ruth Conley, was born on March 26, 1951, in Newark Ohio. She passed away on April 9, 2010, at the age of 59.
The youngest of four daughters, Barbara had lots of blond hair and an impish smile. She loved making tents with blankets and chairs, outside or inside, she and her sister would hide away for hours. Her favorite time was Christmas when she and the other girls shared a five pound box of chocolates under the tree on Christmas Eve and a pile of presents on Christmas morning. When young she always wanted to do what her big sisters did, so she was the Brownie troop mascot before actually being a Brownie and always kept up with her pack of older sisters.


But by the time she became a teenager, she became fiercely independent and refused to follow anyone’s path. She was fun loving and popular, but also broke the mold for what a girl should do. She was dubbed “the beautiful blond behind the big bass drum” as she was the first girl to play that instrument for the Anthony Wayne High School Marching Generals Band. But Barbara had life interests beyond the bass drum; she also had a part time job at the Sunshine School, a residential facility for severely disabled children. It was there that she developed the kindness, patience, and skill needed to become a nurse.

She earned her Licensed Practical Nurse degree from the Nursing School of Bowling Green and went to work at Blanchard Valley Hospital in Findlay, Ohio. She worked there for a decade becoming highly respected for her medical and administrative skills as well as her careful and humane treatment of patients. During this time she married and had three sons, Shannon, Trevor and Justin, who became the center of her life.

For the past 15 years has she called Scottsdale, AZ home, where she enjoyed hikes in the desert and Sunday afternoons by the pool. She loved Italian food, wine spritzers, smooth jazz, and traveling, often in the company of her companion and partner-in-crime Mr. William Gaillard. In addition to enjoying the simple pleasures of life she also took great pride and joy in helping others, making a name for herself in the valley as an excellent, caring, and dedicated nurse. For years she worked at Phoenix Mountain Nursing Center as a floor nurse and eventually as a nurse manager, before moving to Arizona Hospice, where she continued her work with those in need until her untimely passing. One of her recent achievements of which she and her family were most proud was completion of an Associate of Science degree in nursing. A goal for which she spent countless nights studying at home and which allowed her to achieve her dream of becoming a Registered Nurse.


Without a doubt, the role she most relished was that of mother. She never failed to let her children know how much she loved them, and gave to them unceasingly. Sad to be away from them and overjoyed to be with them, the happiest times of her life were when all three of her boys and daughter-in-law Jennifer came together to be with her. Christmas by far was her favorite time of year, for it was her excuse to give without limit, to set out candies and cookies, to decorate, to wrap presents, and to cook. In short, to make her children feel as loved as anyone possibly could.

Her premature departure from this world deprives a great many people of her love and compassion, of her silliness and her smile, of her soothing voice and her reassuring embrace. She will be forever missed by those whom she touched, especially her children, who can never replace the love they have lost, but most definitely will honor it by following her example to be the best people and most loving parents they can be.

In addition to those mentioned above, her passing is mourned by her sister, Linda Hicks; sister and brother in law, Sheila and Bill Tompos; sister and brother in law, Carol and Tim Evans; nephew, David Daily, nephew and wife, Stephen and Lori Tompos; grand nieces, Laurel, Stephenie, and Lily Ann Tompos; and all her many friends and colleagues.