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In memory of

Barbara Harding McClune

Sun City West, AZ, USA

May 12, 1935 - January 31, 2019

May 12, 1935 - Jan 31, 2019

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Barbara H McClune entered the world on May 12, 1935 to a loving family in Williamsport, PA, she was the first of three children of Alberta and Eugene B Harding. She was an intelligent, bright light and spread her own brand of love and compassion everywhere she went. For certain she learned her kind ways from her mother, Alberta, who’s heart was as big as the sky.

Barbara spent her time reading, learning, helping, singing and dancing. When she was old enough she began to use her talents to perform and earn extra money. Barbara would sing and be the Master of Ceremonies for local shows and events around Rochester, NY, where she grew up. She was also a dance teacher with Arthur Murray Dance Studio.

Using her incredible intelligence, Barbara earned a scholarship to Smith College where she studied Political Science. Barbara worked to pay for College by, you guessed it, singing and dancing.

While at Smith, she met her soulmate, David McClune, who was studying at Amherst, just down the road from Smith. She was singing with the Smith choir at an event where David was taking photos for the Amherst paper. The two became inseparable and married in 1957, the summer after they graduated.

Barbara followed David to basic training for the Air Force and then to his post In England for the first few years of their marriage. While in Europe, they traveled, Barbara taught in a local school and they had their first of three children, a son they named Keith.

When David left the Air Force, the two settled in Rochester, NY where Barbara taught and Daivd took a job at Kodak. They filled the last branches of their family tree with two lovely girls, Kirsten and Kimberly. While in Rochester, the family joined the Genesee Figure Skating Club of Rochester where they took skating lessons and were in multiple televised skating shows. The children all had parts in the shows that featured current Olympic or National Champions such as Jo Jo Starbuck and Ken Shelly and Janet Lynn.

In 1973, the family moved to Boulder, CO for David to take a new position with Kodak and they all settled down in their new Western life. Although Barbara did not teach again, she did take on various volunteer roles in the community to stay active. Barbara volunteer as a consumer advocate for Channel 4 Denver where she made some lifelong friends. She recorded books for the blind where she made a lifelong friend. Barbara volunteered as a rape crisis counselor for Boulder County. Barbara became a volunteer judge for low level local figure skating competitions around Colorado and a volunteer for the Red Cross where she traveled to assess community needs following natural disasters.

Following in the footsteps of David and their son Keith, Barbara earned her Extra Class Amateur Radio License from the ARRL and was given the call sign NOBWS. (We thought this was fitting because it could stand for “Barbara With Skates”) She worked beside David who was the President of the Boulder Amateur Radio Club for several years.

When their three children were out making their own mark on the world, Barbara and David traveled and took to ballroom dancing every week in Denver. Ballroom dancing lead to them meeting lifelong friends and making beautiful memories. They enjoyed taking cruises to tropical locations, Alaska and Scandinavia. Hawaii and Australia were two favorites for the local color as well as the people they encountered. Until her last days Barbara insisted that the people of New Zealand were the best people they encountered in all their travels.

Retiring to Arizona, their first home was in Scottsdale where they became active in church as Deacons and leading discussion groups. They also enjoyed hosting their children and two grandchildren in their new home where there were so many new things to share.

Granddaughters Rachel Gaddy, Kirsten’s daughter, and Julia, Kimberly’s daughter, enjoyed visiting Arizona which was always warmer than Colorado, especially at Christmas when people decorated cactus. Keith and his wife Sheila also enjoyed visiting Arizona, mostly in the cooler months when they would wear shorts and sandals while Barbara wore long sleeves and sweaters!

While still living in Rochester, NY, 1972, Barbara became seriously ill and was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, a little known deadly illness at that time. Her illness took its toll on her body and the family over the course of her life. We stood by her and supported her with all our love and care as her body fought off all the complications that can develop from Celiac.

To the very last moments of his life, David was devoted to the love of his life, Barbara. He cared for her and would not leave her side until his own failing health prevented him. Barbara will be remembered as a talented, loving, kind, intelligent, funny and fiercely loyal wife, mother, grandmother, cousin, aunt and friend.

We are so grateful to have known her and been loved by Barbara with a song in our hearts and a dance in our steps, we bid you peace.

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In lieu of flowers, consider a gift to Celiac Disease Foundation.

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