Barb was a mom. A grandma. A wife. A friend.  She was fun to be around and always the life of the party. If there was a microphone or a stage nearby she would always be front and center. She loved to sing. She was an amazing cook. She was creative and crafty. Barb had her own sense of style and flair.

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Barbara Elaine Jaska was born in Buffalo, New York on September 21, 1948. She grew up in Buffalo with her mom and dad, Florence and Walter, and her older sister, Kathy. When she was little she was a competitive roller skater and won many competitions. As a young girl she loved camping with her family at Allegany State Park.  

It was in high school when she met her first love, Tracy. They got married at age 18 and soon thereafter moved to California and later Texas, as Tracy was in the Airforce. At the age of 20, she gave birth to her daughter Tracie Lynn. Barb was a single mom for a while as Tracy was stationed in the Philippines.  Believe it or not, Barbara and Tracie Lynn took a cross country road trip alone together when they moved from Texas to Buffalo to be closer to family. Later, when Tracy returned from the service, they had their son, Jamie.

The young family of four moved to Toledo, Ohio in the early 70s so that Tracy could go to law school. Barb worked at a children’s home and local hospitals. She loved the excitement of working in a hospital and she found her calling taking care of others. During her career in the medical field she worked at the Medical College and St. Vincent Hospital as a nurses aide and a child life specialist. She loved kids and found it so rewarding to work with them everyday. Later, Barb was able to take a role as a hemodialysis technician and found joy caring for patients who came in for their weekly treatments.

After her divorce Barb found true love again and in 1994 married Bob Jaska. Bob and Barb lived their best life. They enjoyed travel and took many trips exploring top destinations throughout the world. They had a close group of friends who they regularly celebrated life with. Barb and Bob jumped into entrepreneurship and opened up a pottery studio called Paintin’ Plates. Paintin’ Plates was a creative outlet for Barb. She loved having guests come to her shop and create memories and personal masterpieces. “The shop” hosted many parties and Barb lived for the days when the shop was packed with customers enjoying time with one another.  

Bob and Barb collectively had 5 children and 13 grandchildren. They built a lake home and outfitted it with all the things that made lake living amazing.  They had golf carts, boats, kayaks, jet skis, an ultimate game room, and a 2 story treehouse. They lived for their grandkids. Summers were spent boating and s’more making. Many nights were spent around the campfire where memories of Granin and Papa would be etched into their grandchildren’s minds. 

After retirement, Barb and Bob started spending part of the winter in Florida. After several years snowbirding, they decided to permanently move to Fort Myers. Some of their closest friends also lived in the area and they would often be found at restaurants or each other’s homes enjoying time together.

When Bob passed in 2018, Barb moved to Atlanta to be closer to her daughter Tracie and a short drive from her son Jamie. She lived independently in an adorable apartment in a senior living community. She made friends easily and enjoyed being close to family and her grandkids.  

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Barb had been no stranger to health challenges throughout her life. She was a cancer survivor for nearly 20 years. Over the past 2 years Barb had many hospital stays as her health deteriorated. She fought hard to overcome her ailments. Barb Jaska died on August 15, 2020 from pneumonia and sepsis. Barb will be forever missed. xxxxooo