“Loved Life Despite the Obstacle of Living.”
Barbara Anne was born Friday, March 23, 1973 in Chesley to James William and Linda Lucille (Andrews) Weber. Michael Jackson, Barb’s favourite singer was thirteen years of age when Barb was born. In fact, Michael sang the solo, Ben at the Academy Awards just four days after her birth prompting Charleton Heston to introduce him in this manner, “His talent is mature, but his age suggests that maybe he shouldn’t even be up this late.”
Barb was the middle child of three girls; Paulette, Barb’s older sister, and younger sister Sandra. The Weber family lived and worked their farm on the Keady Road near Peabody.
Barbara loved her summer times as she lived and worked on the family farm in Peabody. Her work consisted of caring for Jim and her grandmother Hazel, whom she adored. Barb loved animals and was a very generous spirit. She loved to help people out, even to her own detriment. She had an incredible memory and always remembered people’s birthdays and anniversaries. No event ever slipped Barb’s mind and she was even able to recall what people were wearing at each function. Perhaps Barb’s incredible memory had something to do with her advanced ability to hear. Even with two TVs on, Barb could hear a conversation a floor down. It was truly amazing.
Upon finishing school in Owen Sound, Barb moved to Hanover where her father Jim and grandmother Hazel were living. While Barb lived in Hanover she was employed with HARC. HARC gave Barb the opportunity to work at several different jobs including restaurant, doing laundry, candling eggs, delivering fliers and stuffing envelopes. HARC also gave her the opportunity to go on a number of bus trips. She was even fortunate enough to travel into the U.S.
Barb had a number of friends in Hanover and became good friends with Thomas Knapp and they lived together for a number of years.
2008 and 2009 were very difficult years for Barb. Her father Jim and grandmother Hazel passed away. Barb cared for Jim and Hazel for many years prior to their passing due to their illnesses. After Jim and Hazel passed away, Barb and her friend Jamie decided to move to Hepworth where her high school and best friend Lois and her partner Rob Brainard lived next door.
As Barb’s Muscular Dystrophy advanced, she moved in with her mother Linda and step-father Dennis in Port Elgin. Barb was unable to work and stairs even became an obstacle.
Barb loved watching TV – Murder She Wrote, The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, cartoons and of course hockey. Watching TV was such a passion for Barb that it left very little time to listen and enjoy music, except for Michael Jackson. However, she enjoyed doing word searches, rug hooking and cross-stitch.
Given her generous nature, it should not come as a surprise that Barb loved Christmas. She was always buying something for someone. At one point, Barb even had a number of kittens in her home as she could not say “No” to them. Then of course, came the vet bills. It was often not an easy time financially for Barb as she was constantly helping other people out.
Barb loved to collect dolls and had a number of them still in the boxes – which make them more valuable, of course. She also loved her plush, stuffed toys. In fact, Barb died hugging her stuffed pink rabbit. She was so touched when her Mom Linda gave her the DVD set of the latest movie Sing, which came with Gunter the pig! Barb also loved the colour blue and it followed closely to her love for the Toronto Maple Leafs! Playing cards (WAR) with Faith was yet another favorite pastime, as was talking on the phone with Lois.
As time went by, Barb was having problems with her myotonic dystrophy. She fell on the stairs and broke the bone on the top of her foot. The next year to the day, Barb fell again and broke her foot in exactly the same place.
Being diagnosed with Uterine Cancer was both a shock and yet another obstacle for Barb. It was a very rare form of cancer that chemotherapy couldn’t touch. Yet, as with everything else, Barb met the challenge head on and went through radiation in London. Her stubbornness may very well have held her in good stead during this time! At the same time, one major side effect of having cancer was that Barb became more and more isolated, not wanting to spend time around people. Sadly, in less than ten months Barb had the same cancer in her bones and lungs. This then led to Barb’s hip breaking. She endured a lot of pain but she kept going. She was so brave because it all just kept getting worse.
Her final three weeks were spent in the hospital with family by her side. She went through a partial hip replacement and while in hospital developed pneumonia. Sadly, Barb passed away at Grey Bruce Health Services, Owen Sound on Saturday, April 8, 2017 in her 45th year. Given her generous nature, Barb donated her corneas for transplant to a recipient in Toronto.
Beloved daughter of Linda and Dennis Scott of Port Elgin. Loving sister of Paulette Weber (Shanon Hebert) of Allenford and Sandra Weber of Kitchener. Sadly missed by her nephew Matthew Hebert and niece Faith Young. Barb will be fondly remembered by her aunts, uncles, cousins and many friends. She was predeceased by her father James Weber.
Barbara will be missed by all who knew her.
Visitation will be held at Rhody Family Funeral Home, Chesley on Tuesday from 7 – 9 p.m. where a funeral service celebrating Barb’s life will be held on Wednesday, April 12, 2017 at 11 a.m. Interment in Desboro Cemetery.
Memorial donations to Muscular Dystrophy Canada would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.
