A Tribute

Nana

Lovely is an old fashioned word but it perfectly describes our daughter in law's mother Barbara Woods who died last week after a valiant battle with cancer.

The only daughter in a family of rambunctious boys she always maintained her feminine wiles. She was soft spoken, tender hearted and always willing to let others around her shine.
Barbara was a breath of simple fresh air in a world full of pretentious and complicated strivers.
She dearly loved her brothers, children, grandchildren in a way that they all knew she would be there for them no matter what. Barbara honored her mother and father.
Barbara was a worker. She took care of hurting people in her office, maintained the apartments in her building and always quietly washed dishes and “fluffed up” her children's homes after a gathering. Everything she did was without fanfare and came from a heart of love.
The Bible tells us to “Consider others more important that yourselves” and in her acts of care and service Barbara did just this. She was disarmingly humble in this world of strutters. She was so counter to our culture she stood out.
Nanna’s love was a safe haven for a grandchild's heart. They each believed she loved them most. She would often shower them with gifts of outrageous generosity. She was the grandmother-load.
How will we go on without her? There is no one to take her place.
In all of the loud going and comings of our daily lives who will be the quiet, patient, cheerleader for us?
She has left us heart broken but with a wonderful role model of a sweet old fashioned girl who was lovely inside and out.
We are better and richer for having her love poured out in our lives.