Barbara Jo (Covert) Rhea, of Beavercreek, died April 3, 2026 after an incredibly valiant battle with sepsis and endocarditis.

Barbara leaves a legacy of laughter, joy, kindness, courage, and unconditional love. This legacy will be carried on by her daughters, April (Lee Craft) and Allison (Nicholas Moye) and her grandsons, Carl LaRiccia (Tori Sullivan) and Owen Craft. She will be missed greatly by her brothers and sisters Chuck Covert, Steve Grabey, David Covert, and Paula Counts, but most especially by her beloved twin sister and best friend, Betty Covert Fox. She was loved by  brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, and many, many friends, neighbors, colleagues, and former students. 

Barbara spent the last 20 years missing her husband Charles Robert  “Bob” Rhea, the love of her life.

Barbara attended Middleport High School until her senior year and graduated from Portsmouth High School. She earned her teaching degree from Ohio University and later completed a Master’s degree from Wright State University. Bob and Barbara married in 1964. Bob served in the US Air Force and they were stationed in North Dakota, Idaho, and the Philippines. After leaving the Air Force, they lived in Georgia and Texas before ultimately returning to Ohio in 1976. Barbara often said that she would never have chosen many of the places they lived, but she wouldn’t have traded the experiences for anything. 

Barbara began her teaching career in Columbus, Ohio and taught in numerous states, but the vast majority of her illustrious teaching career was spent in the Beavercreek Schools.The luckiest students either got to have her as the world’s greatest substitute teacher or as their 4th grade teacher at Fairbrook Elementary. She was instrumental in the development and implementation of Fairbrook’s award winning Character Education program and in 2004 was named Outstanding Teacher of the Year for Beavercreek Schools. She retired from teaching formally in 2010, but she never missed a teachable moment. 

In the 80’s Barbara and a partner owned "Incredible Edibles”, a gourmet popcorn store in Beavercreek. Owning and running a successful business as a woman in the 80’s was one of her proudest accomplishments.

 Not only was she a phenomenal cook and baker, but also an innovative and adventurous “Recipe Developer”. In 1982 and 1988, she was selected as one of 100 finalists in the Pillsbury Bake-Off. In '88 she won her category - something achieved by only approximately 300 participants who have entered well over 500,000 recipes over the years.  

Barbara was many things. She was funny, and kind, and she never met a stranger. She would  - and did - talk to anyone. Equally, it was next to impossible to go anywhere with her and not run into someone she knew: from the grocery store, to a rest stop in Germany, to a bathroom at the visitors’ center on Pikes Peak. She enjoyed going to a casino, playing cards, and reading historical fiction. She and Bob dreamed of one day opening a bed and breakfast or Inn. She loved peaches - but only if they were peeled. She loved to travel and had been to all 50 US states and Puerto Rico, as well as at least 22 countries. She is loved by people in Arizona, and New Mexico, and Texas, in Colorado, Virginia, and in Canada and in Maine and in Spain. There's an entire village in Scotland that loves Mama Rhea. If something reminded her of a song, you better believe that she sang it - usually out of tune and often with the wrong words, but never without gusto. 

She liked mustard on her hot dog, but not on her hamburger and ketchup on her hamburger, but not on her french fries. She was beloved by dogs and children, but by none more than her spoiled rotten dog Beobe, who she named after her husband Bob. She hated dill and melons but she loved a grilled English muffin with peanut butter. You better never have tried giving this woman cold syrup for her pancakes! She loved watching college football. She was a really good driver. Her emotional fortitude and inner calm were soothing and impressive. She made a mean Welsh rarebit and her stroganoff was the best. She never met a phrase or saying she couldn’t “improve”. Her yard in the spring is a joy to behold and a testament to her tenacity and stamina. She required cocktail sauce with her fish and chips. She knew how to laugh at herself. She never sat still - she was the Energizer Bunny and Wonder Woman wrapped up in one. She made the very best buckeyes. When she heard from former students she would beam for days.  She liked going to breweries and coffee shops and Coconut Cream was her favorite pie - but only with meringue, never whipped cream. No one ever rocked a pair of capris like this lady. She loved to rearrange furniture and clean out a closet. She worked so hard to give us the best Christmases. She won perfect attendance awards as a teacher and could tell you the names of all 88 counties in Ohio. She loved daisies and orange roses. She was never happier than when sitting in a sunbeam. Her eyes were a breathtaking shade of blue and we loved her immensely.

Barbara was the most amazing wife, mother, and grandmother Bob, April, Ali, Carl, and Owen could ever have hoped for. To some, she was Barbara, to others Barb. Or Mrs. Rhea. To us, she was The Mama. She was our Mama. The safety and comfort she gave us; the love and compassion she showed us; the home she created and embodied were the greatest gifts we will ever know. May we be brave enough, strong enough, and wise enough to pay those gifts forward.

Please join us for a Celebration of Barbara’s Life on Friday, April 17th from 4-7 at https://www.benhamsgrove.com/…">Benham’s Grove in Centerville, OH.  A "Program of Remembrance" will begin at 6. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Barbara’s name to https://www.ohioshospice.org/…">Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton, https://www.caringbridge.org/">CaringBridge, the https://hsdayton.org/">Humane Society of Greater Dayton, the https://www.aclu.org/">ACLU or a charity of your choosing. 

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/barbara-covert-rhea/obituary/

Copy