Barbara Jo Reeves

Our beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt passed away on Saturday, August 20th.  Barbara is preceded in death by her son Mark Reeves, her parents Leroy and  Dolly Lambson, Connie Wells (sister) and Richard Lambson (brother).  She is survived by her brother James Lambson, her sons Randall Reeves, Brian Reeves (Chardall) and her daughters Connie Call (Randy) and Amanda Rigan. Funeral will be held on Friday, August 26, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at the Foothill 7th Ward, 2215 E. Roosevelt Avel, SLC.  Family and friends may call at Russon  Brothers Mortuary, 255 S. 200 E., SLC, from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, August 25, 2016, and Friday from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the ward.  Interment at Mountain View Memorial Estates, 3115 E. 7800 S., SLC,  

EULOGY

Barbara Jo Lambson Reeves – September 4, 1936 – August 20, 2016 

Our beloved Mother, Grandmother, Sister, Aunt passed away on Saturday August 20th.  Her son Mark Reeves precedes Barbara in death, her parents Leroy and Dolly Lambson, Connie Wells (sister) and Richard Lambson (brother).  She is survived by her brother James Lambson her son’s Randall Reeves, Brian Reeves (Chardell) and her daughters Connie Call (Randy) and Amanda Rigan.

Her passing is met with great sadness for her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and many close friends.  We will miss her deeply, but we will be forever grateful for the love, happiness and laughter she brought to our lives, and blessed in the knowledge that she is now reunited and at peace with her heavenly family.–

Barbara Jo had such an open heart to all of us. If you knew her, you were lucky. For her family, her children, her friends, her Church, USDC and Soroptomist she was above and beyond.  If you needed help, time, money or a shoulder to cry on or someone to just listen. Sometimes you didn’t even have to ask. She was there and knew what to do.  If she had an extra bed she always had an extra, she would move herself to the basement or knock out walls to make you feel at home.

Barbara was born in Mesa, Arizona to Leroy (Grandpa Roy) and Dollie Lambson (Grandma Nene).  Barbara was the oldest of 4 children Richard, Connie May and James, the baby of the family and Barbara Jo’s “8 year twin” because they shared the same birthday, 8 years apart. 

In 1938, the Lambson’s moved to Northern California for the cooler weather. After moving around the Bay area they finally settled on a little house at 436 Diamond Street, just above the Castro and Mission district in San Francisco.  Barbara attended Daniel Webster School and later Polytech, she graduated Valedictorian of Mission High School and won a scholarship to Stanford University at the age of 15.

In 1955, Barbara Jo met and married John Reeves who was in the Navy and stationed at Treasure Island Naval Base.   They were married in the Salt Lake Temple.  Barbara worked full time while John attended college in San Francisco. Their first child, Mark David Reeves was born on April 16, 1956 in San Francisco and 2 years later their second son, Randall Curtis was born.  They moved to Roy, Utah where John had been offered a position teaching seminary. And in 1960 they welcomed twins Brian John and Connie Elizabeth. Although Barbara had her hands full with 4 children in 1964 they welcomed the baby of the family, Amanda Ann (the smartest and cutest of all)

The Reeves family moved Arizona for a brief period of time before returning to Salt Lake City, Utah.  Barbara was working full time, raising 5 children and supporting John through his second doctorate when she was offered a position with the University of Utah in the purchasing department.  In 1981, Barbara was made the Purchasing Small Business Liaison Manager where she recognized the need for women and minority small businesses to receive support from larger institutions. In 1981 she organized and founded the Utah Suppliers Development Council (USDC). Barbara worked tirelessly and with the support of the University of Utah, USDC provided workshops and offered facilities to small businesses.  She served as President among several other positions and made Chairman of the Board until her retirement.  Barbara’s personal passion began in 1983 when She heard about Soroptomist International and felt the international group of women working together to help women and girls gain a better life was something she could contribute too. In 1984 she was elected President and for 33 years worked and traveled to Norway, Scotland and London to help women in a variety of ways. She organized fund raisers to award scholarships to young girls, she organized and hosted the yearly Christmas Sub for Santa for single mothers and their children providing food, clothes and toys for families that would otherwise not have Christmas. She organized networking luncheons to help unemployed women meet other women business owners and managers to provide advice, referrals and often employment.  Barbara knew how to connect with people and to motivate them to give and share what they had with other people who needed help.

Barbara was first a mother, a friend and a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She taught Primary, Sunday school and spent a decade in the nursery.  She served on a multitude of committees and was always in demand with some sort of cooking project whether it was the Ward dinner, relief society lunch or snacks for the annual Road Show at the stake house.  Barbara particularly enjoyed being a visiting teacher.  She loved to love people, she lived to be of service to others. 

Barbara became ill and in 2010 she experienced renal failure and began dialysis treatments. She woke up every morning at 5:00 am and drove herself to the dialysis center and home again for 4 years. While she was there she took it upon herself to take care of the nurses that were taking care of her. In 2014, she sold her home of 30 years on Royal Circle and moved to Lehi so she could be closer to her brother Jim and her son Brian and his family. Barbara wasted no time at all in getting to know her new neighbors, and fellow members of the church. She was generous and always had a fun story to tell about her children and grandchildren. Her health continued to deteriorate. She became weak and had some difficulty walking with a walker and had long given up stairs, but she never gave up visiting her family and friends.  It was not unusual for her to pull up in front of the house and honk her car horn until someone came out to greet her.  One particular time she showed up at her twin grandson’s school and honked her horn until they jumped in the car. Barbara loved to take her grandchildren on sneaks.   Ice cream was popular, a spending spree to the dollar store or just a drive up the canyon. She loved spending time with her family and she loved all of her grandchildren more than anything on earth. She did not have a favorite, she loved everyone equally.  She did have a very close relationship with her granddaughter Channing, they were like two peas in pod. When Channing was little they began a game of “I love you more” and it will never end.

Barbara was ill the last few months of her life, she was surrounded by family and close friends in her last days and passed away quietly on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, August 20th 2016.