Barbara "Kip" Lynn Kozlowski (Wigton) passed away peacefully at home on December 7, 2023. She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Joseph, her children Kate, Elizabeth, Benjamin and his wife Josie, and Molly, her 12 grandchildren Emily, Elizabeth, Ambrose, Nandi, Naomi, Miranda, Jessica, Allison, Joseph, Victoria, Dona, and Alexander. She is also survived by her siblings Cinda Bailey, Chip Wigton, Todd Wigton, and Amy LaCarrubba.

It might be tempting to say that Kip was ahead of her time. Alternatively, one could simply recognize her as uniquely prescient. Born and raised alongside her cherished best friend/sister Cindy in Ohio, she graduated from Rocky River High School and St. Luke's School of Nursing in Cleveland and practiced in the (then) newly established neonatal intensive care units. It was at that time she met and fell in love with her life partner Joe. Kip was passionately devoted to her family, her husband, her 4 children and their partners, and her grandchildren all made up the jewels of her life.  She held family close and simultaneously encouraged them to spread their wings and soar.

Kip revered the importance of the birthing experience to sound family beginnings; she facilitated that gift for many who benefitted from her time, her wisdom, and her love. She earned her Nurse-Midwifery degree from the College of Nurse-Midwifery at the University of New Jersey (the only college in the US offering that degree at the time) where she received the highest board scores in her class. She was the first Midwife on staff at Lansing General Hospital. Those who received her care commonly felt as if their birth experience mattered most. Passionate about infants, few things charmed her more than a baby's guttural belly laugh.

She tapped into the energy of communities of women, generating creative enterprises including co-founder of "The Consumer Task Force on the Childbearing Year," owner of "A Room of Her Own" women's bookstore in Haslett, and along with Clarice Winkler, founder, owner and practicing midwife at Greenhouse Birth Center.  She retired from midwifery in 2012, along the way attending all of her grandchildren's births and catching many of them. Her birth photography has been published and she helped write a book about birth as well.

After retirement, she founded the "Small but Mighty" art studio where she taught Zentangle as a CZT and was a gifted artist in many mediums, including her beloved tiny intricate books. She loved crafting with and reading to her grandchildren. On their birthdays she would take them to a bookstore and get them as many books as they could carry in their arms. She also led many a crafting project at the yearly family reunions she so loved on Kelley's Island. She also enjoyed driving the golf cart around the farm with her two loved canine companions, Maggie and Martha.

Perpetually learning, Kip enjoyed traveling to new places, seeking out new experiences and nurturing new friendships. With unassailable logic, she regularly tackled some of life's more perplexing social conundrums. With her quick wit she was an insightful social critic, and as a card-carrying member of many subversive ladies' sewing circles, she intuitively knew when to stir things up and when to step back. While patient and kind by nature, she did not suffer fools, and pity especially those unfortunates who failed to recognize the importance of spreading peanut butter to the edge of the bread. She could be found, always, with a book in her hand, as well as at least 3 more in her bag. She is deeply missed. 

There will be a celebration of life on February 3, 2024 from 3 to 6 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Lansing. 

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