Barbara was born on June 23, 1948, in Euclid, Ohio to parents Frank and Birtha Hlavka (pronounced Lavka). She has one older sister, Marilynn. While a child, the family moved to a small town in Ohio, called Novelty, where she attended high school. There she met Doug, her high school sweetheart and faithful husband of 57 years. Barbara and Doug have 3 children, David, Renee and Mark. Aa a young family, they moved to Texas for 4 years, where they attended the First Assembly of God in Garland. While members there, they all became Christians. After moving to Florida, Barbara was hired as the State Treasurer for the Florida Church of God State Office, which covered over 400 Church of God churches in Florida. She worked there for over 25 years, until her retirement. As a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, she attended Citylife Church of God where she made many precious, lifelong friends who have been faithful prayer warriors, who gave her spiritual comfort throughout her lifes journey. She faithfully taught a Sunday School class of four-and-five year old children at her church. She did this for over 20 years until she realized she couldnt get up and out of the tiny chairs anymore. Barbara loved gardening and birds, especially Cardinals, and her yard was beautifully adorned with various flowers and plants mostly from the clearance rack at Lowes! Doug would always take her there, no questions asked (mostly), and they would load up the van, come home, and repot and replant all the plants. The plants had just been neglected, so Barb made sure they were well-watered and fertilized. Most of them survived and were added to her many flowering plants, but she always wanted to add more. It got to the point where every time they passed a Lowes, Doug would make Barb turn her head so she wouldnt want to check out the latest clearance plants. Barbara loved to cook and enjoyed preparing food for family gatherings. She recently passed that mantle to her daughter, granddaughters, and her daughter-in-law. She also enjoyed some great times with her sister, cooking and baking ethnic dishes passed down from their parents and grandparents who were from Europe. Family meant everything to Barb, and she was blessed to have most of her family members live close enough to see them often. She once said she really loved and enjoyed her 3 wonderful children, she adored her 10 grandchildren, but she couldnt put into words the overwhelming joy she felt about her 2 great grandchildren. Barbara wanted to give a special, loving Thank You to her wonderful, faithful husband, Doug. He has been her life partner since she was 15 years old. He has stood by her side every step of the way in their life together, especially in this last season of life. He attended every doctor appointment, blood and platelet transfusion, and he provided for any every need she had. He was patient and kind to her, even when she wasnt. His strength and love were a gift from God to see her through. A celebration of life service will on Saturday, June 29, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. at Citylife Church in Tampa, Florida. In lieu of flowers, Barbara asked the donations be made in her memory to Moffitt Cancer Center or Gulfside Hospice. Celebration Of Life Service Citylife Church Saturday, June 29, 2024 4:00 PM 8411 N Dale Mabry Hwy Tampa, FL 33614