Barbara Anne Oberle

Barbara Oberle was born in Clifton, NJ on September 13, 1941. After graduating from Keuka College in 1963 with a degree in journalism, Barbara served in the second cohort of the Peace Corps, where she was a teacher in Malawi, Africa for two years.

After returning to the United States Barb married Bob Oberle and moved to Florida, where their son, Steve, was born. A year later they happily moved back to the Northeast, settling in Agawam, Massachusetts, where they soon welcomed their second son, Dan. Four years later Mark was born, completing their family. They lived in Agawam for almost twenty years, raising their family and being very involved with church, school and community activities. Barb was always creative, whether it be running the arts & crafts at summer camp every year, designing and making costumes for school and church events, or landscaping their yard.

In the late 80’s and 90’s, Bob and Barb moved a number of times, including several years in Boston, a short stint in Nashville, a mission trip to Africa, and back to her hometown of Clifton, New Jersey, where they lived with Barb’s aunt until she passed. They then moved to New Britain, Connecticut for ten years, to be closer to all three of their sons and their families. In 2017 Bob & Barb followed their eldest son, Steve, to Florida to live with him and his family. When Barb’s husband, Bob, passed away in 2020, Barb continued to live with Steve’s family, eventually following them to Grand Junction, Colorado in the summer of 2021.

Everywhere Barb went she quickly got involved, serving and giving her time and talents. She has left a long legacy of people who have been helped or served by her over the years. She and her husband, Bob, were known as some of the most generous and serving couples most people had ever met. They were usually the first to offer help when needed, and were always ready to welcome people into their home for a meal, an overnight stay, or sometimes a much longer stay.

Barb’s many hobbies and talents included sewing, gardening, crafting, thrift store shopping, and hosting parties, including her famous ‘soup parties’ and ‘ice cream parties’, which drew whole neighborhoods together. She was also a lover of theater and over the years did everything from performing to costume and set designing. She was always up for an adventure and remained busy and active, even to her last day. She will be greatly missed by so many people all over the world.

Barb is pre-deceased by her brother, Dick (Gay), and her husband, Bob. She is survived by her brother, John (Ellen) of Fairlawn, New Jersey, her three sons, Steve (Andrea) of Grand Junction, Colorado; Dan (Michelle) of Bristol, Connecticut; and Mark (Angelica) of Windsor, Connecticut; and four grandchildren, Grant, Bennett, Austin and Hannah.

For those who would like to attend, a memorial service will be held at Clifton Christian Church in Grand Junction on Friday, May 9th at 11:00 a.m., and in Connecticut at a date TBD.