In a remarkable journey that spanned 77 years, Barbara shared her care and devotion with those she held dear through her thoughtfulness, elegance, and attention to detail. She was beautiful and compassionate, rooted in the values of home, family, friends, and tradition. At the same time, Barbara was a global citizen, equally at ease anywhere in the world, and spent nearly 55 years as a flight attendant for United Airlines. Her experiences helped her gain perspective and secure a self-identity that she cultivated through her globetrotting adventures. Barbara's legacy, whether close to home or across the globe, will continue to enrich and inspire all who were fortunate to know her, love her, and be loved by her in life.

Born in 1946, Barbara was raised in the small city of Liberal in southwestern Kansas, where her parents owned two clothing stores and a fabric and sewing accessories store. As a young teenager in a western Kansas cattle town, Barb broke ranks by declaring herself a vegetarian – an unusual choice that proved that she was not afraid to forge her own path. Barbara’s familiarity with the family businesses sparked her love of fashion and shopping. In 1968, upon graduating from Kansas State University with a degree in fashion design & marketing, Barb served as manager and buyer for the family’s fabric store – it was a natural fit. Even so, having already convinced her parents to let her attend summer school in Honolulu, Barb had an itch to see the world and later that year she enrolled at United Airlines’ Flight Training Center in Chicago.

Just a few weeks into training, Barbara met the love of her life, Bob Lenzke, while dancing to live music in a Chicago bar in 1969. The match had challenges: Barb began her career at a time when her employer forbade her from marrying; and Bob, a mustachioed, plaid-shirted architecture graduate from Wisconsin, was just weeks away from being drafted into the Army. Yet their new love prevailed, and Bob and Barb married in 1971, shortly after Bob returned from service in the Vietnam War. They began their family, raising two children, Loretta and Jake in Lake Bluff, Illinois.

Barb became a grandmother six times after what she would have probably described was an excruciating wait. She adored her grandchildren and went out of her way to participate in their lives. She gave them all of the Grandma love she could, and included her growing brood in honoring family traditions. No one enjoyed seeking out items to set the perfect Christmas or Thanksgiving table more than Barb, and her fresh holiday salads are legendary. Barbara ensured that her family was safe, well-mannered, and well-dressed, that food was on the table for regular family meals, and that her home was clean and orderly.

Barbara worked for United Airlines for 54 years, 8 months, and 1 week. She may have been mistaken for an ‘ordinary mom,’ except that several times a month she jetted off to San Francisco or Paris or Buenos Aires or Hong Kong or Tokyo. She also had a great capacity for humor, but only if you knew her well enough to catch it!

Barb had a passion for shopping in other states and around the globe. It was a privilege that she enjoyed to the fullest, and for Barb, it was more about the process than the result. Her purchases were often trophies to memorialize the hunt. She even turned her passion into a second career later in life by starting Jan Lee Antiques and Jan Lee Design with Bob. They could often be found together at weekend festivals, antique shows, and holiday boutiques selling a curated collection of antiques and handmade jewelry that Barbara purchased abroad. She delighted in telling each customer exactly what made each piece special, and how she found it or how she designed it or how it was made.

Barbara is survived by her loving husband of 52 years, Robert Jan Lenzke; her daughter Loretta Lenzke and Francesco Fazio; her son Jacob and Annie Lenzke; her six grandchildren Eleonora, Federica, and Beatrice Fazio and Morgan, Elyse, and Sander Lenzke; and her sister Debra and Chris Merchant. She is preceded in death by her parents, MarVaughn and Beulah Reed, and her brother John Reed. Barb’s other dear family members both living and (deceased) include her aunt Jean and (Sam) Bailey who stepped in lovingly after her parents passed on, her cousin Diana and (Bud) Moore, and siblings-in-law Bill and Creta Lenzke, Nancy and (Jim) Lenzke, and Johnny Sue (John) Reed.

A service will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest on October 9, 2023 at 4 pm CDT. This service is open to all those who wish to honor Barbara’s life.

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