It’s with great sadness that our mother Barbara “Barb” Hoover passed away from this life on October 19, 2026. Her work here is complete, and she has earned her place in the Kingdom of Heaven with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Barbara Jean Hobbs was born on August 25, 1934 to Lester and Genevive McCarty Hobbs, the 5th of 9 children. Barb lived in Ottumwa, IA all her life. Barb worked for the Ottumwa Hospital and Ohara Hardware until she retired in 1990. Barb married LeRay Mathis in September of 1951. They welcomed five daughters, Sherry, Kay, Debbie, Tammy, and Brenda. They later divorced and she then met and married Bill Leahy. They welcomed a daughter, Terri. Following Bills passing, Barb found love again and married Donald Hoover on December 24, 1996, and added his three sons to their blended family. They shared many wonderful years together until his passing in 2021. In the last few years, her daughters took care of her at home and once she really declined Brenda moved in with her and together with her husband Brad took care of her.
Barb was very meticulous about her appearance, and it didn’t go unnoticed by her friends and even total strangers. Barbara loved to go shopping and antiquing with her girls. In the past couple of years, she enjoyed trips to Branson, MO and Galena, IL with her girls and sons-in-law. If you knew her, you knew she loved the color pink and loved things that had sparkle and could always find room for a little more bling. She had a special love for animals, especially her dogs, Mandy, Billy Jo and Molly, plus her grand-dog, Jakx. Barb loved all holidays with Christmas being her favorite. She loved baking and her family put their orders in early for her famous peanut brittle and cookies.
Barb knew both the joys and heartache that came with a long life. She experienced the happiness of watching her family grow through multiple generations but also the unimaginable sorrow of saying goodbye to three daughters. Through it all, her story remained one of family, love, and a lifetime of memories.
Those left to cherish her memory include her daughters, Kay (Kent) Evans, Tammy (John) Bienusa and Brenda (Brad) Kenney, stepsons Jim, Dan and Rob; surviving sons-in-laws, Bob Riley, Ricky Blevins, Tom Budiselich; her sisters Nadine Traxler, Laveda Cain, Carolyn Harsch; brother Ronnie Hobbs; and numerous nieces, nephews, grandchildren, great & great-great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, daughters Terri Riley, Debbie Blevins and Sherry Budiselich, sisters Izora Day, Lavonne Padget, brothers Lester Hobbs and Mike Hobbs.
Her body has been cremated. Memorial services will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, October 26th at Reece Funeral Home. Visitation with her family present to greet friends will be one hour prior to the service. Inurnment will be in Ottumwa Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, Dementia Friendly Iowa or Heartland Humane Society.
