Barbara Jean Zaber

Barbara was born on March 13, 1943 to William and Edith Gleason in Duluth, Minnesota where she lived until 1962 when she married Frank J. Zaber of Brooklyn, New York. After his Air Force service ended, the couple moved to Brooklyn in 1964 where she worked as a legal secretary on Wall Street. In 1966 Barbara become a mother to Teresa, and in 1969, after the birth of the couple’s second child, Frank, they moved to Staten Island, NY and had two more children, Tamara and Suzanne. In 1974 the young family moved to Florida. In 1977, they moved back to Barbara’s hometown of Duluth for a couple years before heading south to Texas in 1979. After her divorce in 1994, Barbara settled on 70 acres of land in Dodd City, Texas. She had many happy childhood memories of her grandmother’s farm, and moving to the country was a lifelong dream. Barbara worked as a secretary and data entry clerk for many large law firms in Dallas. She retired from Baker Botts in 2018. For a time she raised large exotic birds, and in her retirement she enjoyed the quiet of the country with her many feline companions.

Barbara loved baking, sewing, crocheting, bowling, game shows, and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

Barbara was predeceased by her parents, William and Edith Gleason. She is survived by siblings Patrick Gleason, Jim Gleason, and Susan Maciejeski; children Teresa Kassela, Frank Zaber III (Laura), Tamara Zaber, and Suzanne Keith (Todd); grandchildren Matthew, Christopher, Michael, Amanda, Morgan, Reagan, Zoe, Jae, and Georgia; and great-grandchildren Mackenzie, Madelyn, and Zakary.

A memorial service for Barbara will be held Saturday, August 12, 2023 at 10:00 AM at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home, 7405 West Northwest Highway, Dallas, TX 75225, followed by a reception from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Sparkman-Hillcrest.com for the Zaber family.