Surrounded by the love of her children and with the comforting presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Barbara Ann Reardon (nee Johnson) passed away on December 9, 2024, at the age of 91 years and 11 months at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. 

Born in Alton, Illinois on January 15, 1933, Barbara is survived by her son, Grant (Rosemary) Williams, her daughter, Stacey (Dries) Alberts, her beloved grandson, Daniel Andries Tosh Alberts and her sister, Norma Glassbrenner.    

Preceding her in death is her mother, Lucille B. McCann, her father, William Frederick Johnson, her brother, Ralph Johnson, her sister, Mae Laverne Winkler, beloved nieces, nephews and many, many friends.

Having attended St. Patrick’s Gradeschool in Alton, Illinois, Barbara converted to Catholicism in her early twenties.  She remained committed to the faith throughout her life.  Christmas time was her favorite time of year.

Inspired by her own educational experience, she and our father, made sacrifices to ensure that we both had the privilege of a Catholic education.

Barbara was a voracious reader and emphasized the importance of education and educational opportunities for all.  She was one of the first volunteer reading tutors for the newly established Head Start program in the 1960’s, serving underprivileged youth.  

Barbara held many professional roles throughout her life including McDonnell Douglas, St. Louis Country Club, The University Club, Washington University Alumni House and Business School, Mayfair Linens, Albert Aloe Opticians, private business owner of The Tea Kettle Restaurant in St. Charles on Main Street in the early 1970’s and personal assistant to a prominent St. Louis philanthropist.  She was a house mother at fraternities and sororities at the University of Missouri, Columbia where she studied child psychology, the University of Virgina, and DePauw University in Indiana.  Her last professional role was with Ladue News where she worked as a receptionist for 11 years until the age of 76, only leaving due to departmental downsizing.  She loved to work and reported the desire to seek employment just weeks before she passed away. 

She was a world traveler having visited Ireland, Scottland, Austria, Portugal, Spain, France, Moracco, Canada, Italy, Namibia, and South Africa.  

Barbara loved entertaining and hosting “Open House” gatherings.  She enjoyed the art of presenting a welcoming dinner table.

Barbara enjoyed people, her friends, her children’s friends, her friends’ friends, conversation, and making new acquaintances at each place of employment, school, town, country, theatre, library, service station, grocery store, hospital, living facility or shop that she visited . . . frequently.  She loved babies, puppies and dogs, music, going to the symphony and to the theater.  She was fiercely (and sometimes dangerously) independent. 

Aside from her many interests, spending precious time with her children is what she valued most.  Her strong faith was her cornerstone, throughout her life.

Barbara’s everlasting love of life, spontaneity, sense of humor, laughter, kind heartedness, sporadic oppositional defiance, and genuine desire to make someone’s day just a little bit brighter, will be missed by many, whose lives she touched.

Funeral Mass will be held at 4:00 p.m. on January 10th, 2025, at Our Lady of the Pillar Church, 401 South Lindbergh, Frontenac, Missouri 63131. Celebration of Life reception at Doubletree Hilton, Westport, 1973 Craigshire Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63146, Plaza One Room, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.  

If desired, please consider memorials to:

Catholic Charities at https://give.ccstl.org/

or Stray Rescue of St. Louis at:  https://www.strayrescue.org/donate.