Barbara Lynn Barnhart

Barbara Lynn Barnhart
Sept 19, 1935 - Sept 18, 2021
 
Barbara Lynn Tietze (Douglas) Barnhart, 85, a long-time resident of Somers, CT and Longmeadow, MA passed away early Saturday morning, September 18, 2021 just one day before her 86th birthday. She passed at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA with family by her side. She was born September 19, 1935 in Newark, NJ and was the daughter of the late Margaret (Manus) and Walter Tietze. 

Barbara was a 1953 graduate of East Orange High School in NJ and went on to graduate business school and become a member of (Alpha) Beta Gamma Delta Sorority. In her young adult years, Barbara was a stenographer with a first level clearance for the FBI and a volunteer ambulance driver for the Springfield First Aid and Rescue Squad in Springfield, NJ. Later, Barbara became a homemaker and volunteered a large amount of her time. Under Sister Mary Caritas, Barbara was key in helping Mercy Hospital in Springfield, MA set up their lobby art gallery in the 1970-80s which helped to promote local artists and raise money for the hospital. She was a member of P.E.O. and was socially active. 

Barbara was known in her neighborhood in Longmeadow for coordinating beautiful winter holiday luminaries with all the houses on her street. Having lived with her first husband and their daughter in the New Orleans area for several years, her costumed Mardi Gras parties were anticipated each year in Longmeadow, MA. Through the years, Barbara also hosted many celebrated Christmas Eve get-togethers with family and friends in both her hometowns of Longmeadow and Somers. 

Barbara enjoyed dancing, traveling, gourmet cooking and gardening. She and her second husband, Philip Barnhart, Sr., traveled many places around the world together. Barbara and Phil met at a dance in their later years in 1997 and were lucky enough to go on to spend 18 loving years together before he passed away in 2015. She loved spending winters with Phil in warmer weather near a Florida beach and time closer to family in New England during the summers.
 
Barbara is survived and lovingly remembered by her daughter, Debra Anderson, and her husband, Rob Anderson of Contoocook, NH as well as her brother, Bob Tietze in NJ. She is also survived by her stepchildren, Jim and Bob Barnhart and their wives Anne and Shirley respectively and predeceased by her stepson, Philip Barnhart, Jr.  Barbara also leaves behind her grandchildren, Rowan and Vivian Anderson from NH and Christopher, James, Sarah and Jennifer Barnhart of MA as well as her family in NJ including her nieces Christina and Deanna and her cousins Richard and Gloria Manus. Barbara’s bright smile and sparkling green eyes will always be remembered and she will be missed deeply by friends and family forever. 
 
Friends and family are invited to connect and celebrate her life at her memorial on Saturday, October 2, 2021 from 11:00am-1:00pm at Forastiere Smith Funeral & Cremation, 220 N. Main St., East Longmeadow, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Barbara’s name to the National Audubon Society or to The Crohns and Colitis Foundation. Her family would like to extend a sincere thank you to the ICU and Daley 6A staff at Baystate Medical Center for the wonderful and respectful care they gave to Barbara and showed to her family. www.forastiere.com.