Barbara Jane Loessberg's Obituary
Barbara Jane Loessberg (Timms) passed away at 85 at her home in Richardson, Texas on Wednesday, November 5, 2014. She was born on January 3, 1929, and led a full, rich life blessed with faith, friends and family. Barbara spent her much of her youth in Corpus Christi, where she graduated from Incarnate Word Academy in 1947. As a high school student during WWII, “Timmy” would take the bus to the Naval Air Station to help with USO dances, and sang with classmates on the local radio station. In 1948, she bumped into a neighbor boy, Bill Loessberg, at the local drug store, who was buying candy for his then-girlfriend. Six months later, on June 11, 1949, Barbara married the love of her life. Barbara and Bill celebrated their 65th anniversary in 2014. Barbara and Bill lived in Corpus for 10 years and then Oklahoma City for nine years, but she called Richardson, Texas home for 46 years. Over the years, she was a busy school volunteer (she loved being homeroom mother best), church volunteer (she and Bill were very active as Marriage Encounter leaders and in counseling engaged couples at St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Plano, and later as a member of St. Paul’s Church), neighborhood door-knocker for the March of Dimes, Cub Scout den mother, and 40-plus year member of her service sorority, Epsilon Sigma Alpha. Barbara stayed open and eager to learn her entire life. She religiously followed local and world news, and welcomed the iPad, iPhone and Facebook into her life to stay connected to her friends and particularly to faraway family members. In her last months, she learned how to use Uber to stay mobile and independent (and invited her Uber drivers in for a visit and cold drink). In fact, Barbara spent a lifetime looking after and caring for other folks. She had an extraordinary capacity to connect with anyone, anywhere. She had a perfect gift to make you certain she knew exactly how special you are. She celebrated with full heart every achievement and every happy moment you shared with her, whether you were family, an old friend, the hygienist at the dentist’s office or the brand new salesperson at the Hallmark store. To the end, it was her magic touch to remember, so thoughtfully, what was important to you– the rocky start of second grade for your youngest daughter, your grandson’s med school aspirations, whether those credits came through so you can get your GED, your niece’s color dilemma for her bridesmaids’ gowns–and ask you all about it the next time you saw her. But Barb’s gift mattered even more as she listened to and cared for so many of us through the sadder chapters of life with genuine kindness and deep compassion. Not surprisingly, Barb had a broad circle of friends. Her neighbors on Brentwood Lane, her longtime sorority sisters from ESA, and her church groups were all so very important to her. She also cared deeply about the folks she befriended in every facet of her life—the stores and shops, the doctors’ offices, and across her extended family. At the end of her life, she was blessed with a circle of care from Amity Hospice. Her family thanks Cat Williams, Cheryl Volberding and Kevin Shaner for providing her with exemplary medical support, given with love and respect; for ensuring her dignity; and for having the patience to listen to just one more story about her wonderful grandchildren. Family was the joy of Barbara’s life. She raised her children with rock solid values centered around doing the right thing, putting others first, and loving each other. More than anything else, she taught those values through the way she led her own life. Her grandchildren knew exactly they how much they were loved: “Nana had a heart as big as her house, and she loved us with that whole big heart. Making us happy was always her top priority. Nana taught us that feelings are neither right nor wrong; they just are,” is how her granddaughter Betty Loessberg Smart summed it up. In addition to her husband Bill, Barbara leaves behind a son, Rick Loessberg and his wife, Betheny Reid, of Dallas, and their son Jack of Dobbs Ferry, NY, and another son who predeceased them, Scott; a daughter, Shari Loessberg and her husband, Christopher Smart of Washington, DC, and their daughters Kate Smart of Boston and Betty Smart; a sister and brother-in-law, Mary and Bill Gamble of Martinsburg, WV; a niece, Kathy Gamble; and 2 nephews, Patrick Gamble and Tim Gamble. The funeral services for Barbara will be held on Friday, November 21, at 1:00 PM at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 720 S. Floyd Road in Richardson. A celebration and reception will be held after at 2:30pm at The String Bean restaurant, at 1310 W. Campbell Road, also in Richardson. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Restland Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 13005 Greenville Avenue, at Restland Road, Dallas, TX 75238. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions in Barbara’s memory to Catholic Charities adoption services, 9461 LBJ Freeway, Suite 128, Dallas, TX 75243, www.catholiccharitiesdallas.org; or the Network of Community Ministries, 741 S. Sherman, Richardson, TX 75081, www.thenetwork.org .
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