Barbara Ann Cosgrove Keyser

Mrs. Barbara Ann Cosgrove Keyser, age 98, of Sarasota, Florida, passed away peacefully Thursday, December 5, 2019, at Sunnyside Health and Rehabilitation Center. Barbara was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 11, 1921, to Mary Elizabeth Mercer Cosgrove and Raymond Charles Cosgrove.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her first husband, George Harold Keyser; and her second husband, Frank Carlisle Fennell.

Barb attended Mansfield Senior High School and graduated from Hathaway Brown in Cleveland, Ohio. She attended Simmons College in Boston and completed her BA degree at University of Cincinnati in 1942. Wright Aeronautical started her career path where she performed Payroll and Human Resources functions followed by State of Ohio employment.

Barbara was active in the Mansfield, Ohio community. She was President of the Senior Women’s Golf Association of Westbrook County Club, President of Buckeye Garden Club, PEO, the YWCA, and various PTA organizations. She was a founding member of the Women’s Bar Association of Richland County and proudly served as a Rotary Anne. She was an avid golfer and loved to play Bridge. She contributed to various Salvation Army projects and other charities through the Richland County Foundation. Barb was a long time member of the First Congregational Church in Mansfield. She spent her later years in Sarasota, Florida. Barb and was active in the Bent Tree Golf Community and Church of the Palms Presbyterian Church.

She is survived by her daughter, Judith Merrill of LaGrange, GA (Taylor); and sons, George (Sharon) of Shelby Ohio, Stephen (Phyllis) of Sarasota Florida, Philip Keyser (Deborah) of Aurora, Ohio and Frank Fennell’s daughter Cathy (Kip) of Edina, Minnesota.

Her grandchildren include Todd Merrill of Alpharetta, GA, Kathryn Mercer VanSchoor of LaGrange, GA (James), Holly Ghelfi (Samuele) of Basel, Switzerland, Brett Keyser (Kristen) of Sarasota, FL McKenzie Babachenko ( Igor ) of Richmond, VA, Sean Keyser of Boulder, Colorado and Corey Vesterman of Shelby, Ohio (Angie). She has 13 great grandchildren

A gathering of remembrance will be held on Saturday December 14, 2019 at 2:30 pm at the Ontario Home of Wappner Funeral Directors, 100 S. Lexington Springmill Road, followed by a private burial. Messages to the family can be sent to [email protected]. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Barbara’s honor to the Richland County Foundation, 101 South Main Street, Mansfield, Ohio 44902.