Barbara Eldridge passed away peacefully in her sleep in Waterville, Ohio on September 17, 2024, leaving behind a legacy of love and service; she was 92.
Daughter of Dorothy Greenwood Eldridge and U.S. Naval hero, WWII squadron Commander John Eldridge, Barbara spent her formative years moving among Navy bases in Norfolk, VA, Southern California, Panama, and Seattle.
She graduated from Randolph Macon Women’s College, married and embraced the role of motherhood, raising four children, Lisa (diseased, Marc), John (Hee Won), Ellen (Peter), and Richard (Kristen). She is also survived by nine grandchildren, Matthew, Natalie (Matt), Gordon, Gi Gi, Forrest, Sam, Nick, Ian, and Caroline, her sisters, Constance (John) and Joan, and nieces, Ann (JC) and Gretchen (Salvatore).
After raising her children, she enjoyed a successful career in banking and accounting before retiring to picturesque Red Wing, MN where she lived for many years, devoting herself to extensive community service, including planting and maintaining public gardens, serving in leadership of Kiwanis, leading coat drives for underprivileged children, and so much more. She cherished being a grandmother and joyfully pursued hobbies like traveling, quilting, painting, and gardening. She had a fun sense of humor and loved animals, having rabbits as pets into her later years.
As she was in life, she will be remembered always for her kind spirit and the impact she made on those who knew her.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Peinert-Dunn Funeral Home in Waterville, Ohio.