Barbara Anne Fecke, 90, of Vero Beach, Florida, passed away surrounded by the love of her family. Born on August 20, 1935, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Barbara was the daughter of the late James Wann and Vernon (Kraft) Wann. She was raised in Vancouver, where she spent her early years before embarking on a remarkable adventure that would shape the rest of her life.

At just 22 years old, Barbara bravely moved on her own to Manhattan, New York, where she worked at the Times of London. In the beginning, she lived in a boarding house until one of her aunts later moved to New York, and together they shared an apartment.

It was through that aunt that Barbara found the love of her life in a story that her family would treasure for years to come. Her aunt attended a party in their apartment complex and met a nice young man. She returned home and told Barbara, after her work, that while he was much too young for her, he would be perfect for Barbara. Curious, Barbara accompanied her aunt back to the party, where she met the man who would become her husband.

Their love story almost ended before it truly began. After meeting his parents over dinner, he suggested Barbara take the train home rather than driving her back into the city from Queens. Barbara promptly informed him she would not be doing that. Thankfully, he reconsidered, drove her home himself, and instead of returning to Queens that night, slept in his car and Barbara didn’t hear from him for a while… The rest, as they say, is history. Her aunt returned to Canada, but Barbara stayed in the apartment enjoying city life

Barbara was a woman of deep and unwavering faith. Though raised Protestant, she wished to marry her Roman Catholic husband and received permission from her church to do so and to raise their family in the Catholic faith. Together they built a beautiful life and raised their family on Long Island, New York.

During those years, Barbara worked while attending school in the evenings, earning her associate’s degree — an accomplishment of which she was very proud. She and her husband shared a love of travel and adventure, creating cherished family memories on trips near and far, often capturing those moments through photographs and slideshows that the family enjoyed for years afterward. During their travels to Florida, while Interstate 95 was still being developed and did not yet extend the full length of the state, they found themselves traveling through Vero Beach and quickly fell in love with the area. They purchased their first condominium there in the 1970s, became snowbirds for many years, and after retiring in the 1980s, eventually made Vero Beach their permanent home.

In Vero Beach, Barbara generously gave her time and talents through volunteer work in the community. She embraced retirement, enjoying time with friends and the many social activities that came with this new chapter of life. She had a remarkable talent for crossword puzzles and later enjoyed playing bingo with friends. Barbara also liked working Sudoku puzzles, though she would readily admit that numbers never came quite as naturally to her as words. Whether volunteering, socializing, or enjoying a favorite puzzle, Barbara approached life with warmth, grace, and gratitude.

Barbara was truly a lady in every sense of the word — gracious, kindhearted, faithful, and elegant. She never had a bad thing to say about anyone and left a lasting impression on all who knew and loved her.

She is survived by her loving children, Kurt John Fecke, Craig James Fecke, and Robin Anne Cargill; and by her cherished grandchildren, Scott Fecke, Keith Fecke, Isabelle Fecke, Christina Cargill, and Austin Fecke.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, June 6, at 2:00 p.m. at Cox-Gifford Seawinds Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Crestlawn Cemetery in the columbarium.

Barbara’s family finds comfort in knowing that her legacy of faith, kindness, perseverance, and love will continue through the many lives she touched.

God listened and took her to rest.