Barbara Gean Hunter

Barbara Gean Hunter was a woman of faith, a beloved daughter, sister, and most of all mother. Born in Pensacola, Florida to Louvenie Hunter and James McClure on May 30, 1954, Barbara was known to always fight for the people she loved. Her older siblings regularly tell stories of how as a child, Barbara would rush to their rescue to fend off bullies in playground or neighborhood brawls. No matter the circumstances, what or whom she faced, Barbara would stand strong, an essential quality that remained consistent throughout her life.

After graduating from high school in Pensacola, Barbara followed her siblings north when she moved to Baltimore, Maryland to attend Morgan State University. She would later join most of her brothers and sisters in Brooklyn, New York, the place she would call home for nearly three decades. There, she would build a career serving others in the healthcare industry, passing out small bibles to every person she counseled on their healthcare needs.

While Barbara was known to be a fierce warrior and protector, she was also known for her warmth, beautiful smile and encouraging words. Each of her nieces and nephews can recall at least once when their Aunt Bob reminded them of their ability to reach and achieve their dreams and of how important it was to explore the world around them. Many of them credit their "auntie" with reiterating the importance of pursuing their education and with introducing them to the arts, culture, and activities they otherwise would have never explored.

On January 11, 1985, Barbara gave birth to her only child, Ayofemi Hunter-Kirby, to whom she was devoted to seeing succeed. At the age of 7, Ayofemi recalls her mother explaining to her that she would always be an asset to society, never a liability. Barbara would spend the next 27 years of her life teaching Ayofemi what it meant and how it felt to love herself and to be unconditionally loved by another. She spent many days at the dinner table helping Ayofemi with her homework, shuffling her back and forth to dance class, math camp, science camp and all the other extracurricular activities she sacrificed for to make sure Ayofemi enjoyed. Ayofemi's father Jonathan would often say that their daughter was her mother's greatest accomplishment.

On January 7, 2013, after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer, Barbara Hunter passed away. Days before her death, she was surrounded by her family - all the people she loved the most. Barbara is survived by her daughter; Ayofemi Hunter-Kirby, her siblings; Annie Mary Coley, Earnest Hunter, Sue Hunter, Sylvester Hunter, Janice Hunter, Virginia Prince, Nathaniel Hunter, Mary Gean Hunter and Terry Thomas, Rosaland Thomas, and her nieces and nephews; Darah Coley, Charles Prince, Latasha Bailey, Earnest Hunter Jr., Sylvester Hunter Jr., Chloe Jade Hunter-Holloway, Jamal Hunter, Apryl Hunter, Maria Julian, Douglas Terry, Ayana Hunter, Justin Thomas, Kelly Thomas and Paige Thomas.

Up until her last breath, Barbara fought to make sure she and everyone around her enjoyed each moment of their lives. She will be dearly missed by every person she touched with her smile and by all the people with whom she shared her heart.