Barbara Jolluck Chapin

Barbara Jolluck Chapin, 63, passed away on November 19, 2018, in Columbus, OH. Beloved wife of Robert Chapin for 42 years. Cherished sister of Christine Jolluck (Lewis Durland, deceased), Jeanne Jolluck, and Katherine Jolluck (Norman Naimark). Born to the late Helen and John Jolluck, in Cleveland, OH, she resided in Columbus, OH for the past 25 years. Aunt, sister-in-law, and cousin of many, both in the U.S. and Poland.

Barbara passed away unexpectedly after a brief illness, surrounded by her loving family. She was a strong, intelligent, adventurous, graceful woman with a great sense of humor and an enormous heart. She was always there when someone needed her strength and support -- at hospital beds; sending care packages, including a fully decorated real Christmas tree in a stand to Katherine when she started her first university teaching job in the South; and staying with Chris for weeks when her husband passed away unexpectedly. Jeanne could always count on Barb for her pointed critiques of style and décor, and many culinary adventures. Barb also adored her dogs Zorra and Chico, and others over the years.

Like her mother, Barbara was a lifelong voracious reader, and truly enjoyed interacting with her local book club. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Comparative Literature from Brandeis University. Barbara loved sharing articles on news and culture, and recipes from the New York Times with family and friends; we miss her texts and emails.

She loved to travel. She and Robert visited more than 30 countries, including China, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, Morocco, and much of Europe and the UK, and she won trips to Hawaii from her employer for her marketing skills. Her favorite city was Paris, an affection for which she acquired after studying in France in her junior year at Brandeis. She would bring elements of the culture and cuisines from her travels home to share with all.

Barbara was an exceptional gourmet cook and wonderful baker, who was on a first name basis with the staff at King Arthur Flour Co. in Vermont. Her culinary interests were evident at an early age, when she began introducing her family to quiches, souffles, fondues and elegant cakes as a teen. She kept meticulous files of recipes, updated with her notes and amendments, and in her collection of over 200 cookbooks. Her kitchen is stocked with all kinds of baking pans, exotic cooking vessels from around the world, including tagines, paella pans, and hot pots, and a world of herbs and spices. She would prepare delicious meals for her mother Helen when she was no longer able to cook for herself, filling her freezer for weeks at a time. Thanksgiving was Barbara’s favorite holiday and she prepared beautifully planned and presented feasts, always seeking new dishes to try and share.

She loved music, theatre, gardens, antiques, and art and earned her Masters in the History of Art at Case Western Reserve University. Barbara was extremely creative. She designed the landscapes, interiors, and gardens of her homes; she made elegant soaps to help fund a memorial scholarship for her young nephew Jason; and she created beautiful pop-up cards, invitations, and elegant Japanese paper cards, as well as clay jewelry beads.

She reveled in exploring new places, theatres, restaurants, and cities, and spent most of her professional career at Sterling Commerce Software Co. (now part of IBM), traveling the world to lecture for professional colleagues. She eventually became Vice President of Marketing at Sterling. She and Robert opened their home for extended stays to both a woman from China, now a lifelong friend, and a cousin from Poland. Both eventually became U.S citizens, raising their families in the Cleveland area.

Her husband Robert writes: “I would like to thank Barbara for an adventurous, delicious, creative, and exciting married life together for over 42 years. She was a wonderful woman and wife, and I love and miss her dearly.”

Barbara’s wit and wisdom, and most of all her generous, loving heart will be missed by all who knew her.

Suggestions for memorial donations include:

Mid-Ohio Food Bank (3960 Brookham Dr., Grove City, OH 43123), the Franklin County Dog Adoption Center (4340 Tamarack Blvd., Columbus, OH 43229) or Seeds of Literacy (3104 West 25th St., 3rd Fl., Cleveland, OH 44109).

Visitation with family 9-11 AM, Saturday, April 27, 2019, at Corrigan Craciun Funeral Home, 20820 Lorain Rd., Fairview Park, OH, followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30 AM at St. Angela Merici Church, 20970 Lorain Rd., Fairview Park, OH (next to the funeral home). Interment at Holy Cross Cemetery, Brook Park, OH.