Obituary
Barbara (Barb) Flynn Wakefield, 85, passed away unexpectedly on May 23, 2023. Barb was funny, vivacious, kind and loving, and is dearly missed by her many friends and family. Barb was born May 27, 1937 and grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with her younger sister Sue and surrounded by many fun and loving relatives from the Reynolds and Flynn families. Her father Bob Flynn was a salesman and her mother Helen was a buyer for a department store. In her youth, Barb was involved in theater groups and enjoyed the Pennsylvania Dutch culture of the Lehigh Valley. She graduated from Liberty High School and Moravian College, where she majored in Business. While at Moravian, she went on a blind date to a YMCA dance with Lehigh University student Robert (Bob) Wakefield, and after dating for several years, they were married in 1959. Bob’s first job out of college was for the U.S. Geological Survey in Washington D.C. and so they moved to Northern Virginia where they would live for nearly 40 years. Barb held secretarial and administrative jobs with private industry and the U.S. Army, where she earned awards for her excellent work, while also raising two children — Jody, born in 1966 and William (Billy), adopted in 1970. Barb was active in numerous church and social groups and loved playing golf. She also loved animals, especially dogs, and was a dedicated “Mom” to many special pets over the years. After retiring, Bob and Barb relocated to The Villages, Florida, where they spent the past several decades playing golf and Mahjong, making new friends and entertaining old friends and family who loved to visit them. Barb is predeceased by her parents, her son Billy and her husband Bob. She is survived by her daughter Jody Wakefield, her sister Sue Mitman, nieces Michelle Mitman and Katy Fenn, nephew Andy Fenn, many beloved cousins, special friends and cherished neighbors. A memorial service will be held for Barb at Christ Lutheran Church in Summerfield, Florida on July 14 at 11 am. In lieu of flowers, please donate in Barb’s honor to Christ Lutheran.
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