Barbara May Lilley

2023. She was ninety-four years young.

Barbara, or ‘Barb’ was born on January 28th, 1929, in Sheridan, Wyoming, to Cryus and Aulene

Townsend. She was the eldest of four children, the only girl of her three brothers, Jerry, Darrel,

and Don, but the “toughest of the bunch”, she liked to say.

She married Gerald E. Lilley on May 24th, 1947, and graduated from Sheridan High four days

later. They settled in California in the year 1955 where they raised their four children, Linda,

Kenneth, Robert, and Rhonda. Barbara and Gerald were married for 61 years, until his passing

in 2009.

Barbara was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and

friend. She taught us bravery and laughter; she bested us in poker and Shanghai, delighted us

with at-home organ concerts, and painted ceramics endlessly. She had a green thumb, and a

memory like an elephant. She was a woman deeply devoted to her family, a camper, a joker, a

crafter, and the best biscuit and gravy chef around. She dedicated years from 1969 to 1974 to

care for others as a convalescent nurse. She found happiness in turquoise stones, gardenias,

the color blue, and collecting (a lot!) of treasures. Above all else, her happiness was rooted in

her husband and one true love, Gerald ‘Jerry’, and the family they built together.

Barbara’s parents, her three brothers, her husband, her sons, Robert and Kenneth, and her

grandson, James, preceded her in death. She is survived by her two daughters, Linda and

Rhonda, eight grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Barbara liked to say she would outlive all of us, just to spite us, her little joke always said with a

smile. We wish you had, Barbara. Your witty sense of humor and kindness will be sorely missed.

The Lilley family wishes to express their gratitude for your condolences, and request that

donations be made in Barbara’s name to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, as she wished.

All information for donations can be found at www.parkinson.org, call 1.800.473.4636 or use the

form given to send directly to:

Parkinson's Foundation

200 SE 1st Street

Suite 800

Miami, FL 33131

Until we meet again Mom, Grandma, ‘Barb’, we love you the mostest, the longest, and the

lastest.