BARBARA MARCUS FRIEDBAUER's Obituary
Barbara Marcus Friedbauer
The family of Barbara mourn her passing away on January 13, 2025. Barbara was born in New Jersey on February 28, 1932 to Marjorie Marcus and Donald Marcus, MD. Barbara always loved learning and excelled academically. Her sister, Judy Vander, fondly remembers having to coax Barbara away from reading a book in order to have her older sister play with her. Barbara graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Art History. While at Cornell, she met a fellow classmate who became the love of her life, Roger Friedbauer. After graduation and marriage in 1953, Barbara and Roger moved to Boston where Roger attended Harvard Law School. Barbara got a job helping professors grade papers at the Harvard Business School.
Barbara loved being a mother and enjoyed early years in New Jersey raising her children, Nancy, John and Elise. Due to the demands of Roger’s legal career, they moved to Ithaca, New York, then abroad to Geneva, Switzerland and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Wherever they lived, Roger worked long hours at law and Barbara took care of the home front, a more challenging task in foreign countries where English was not widely spoken and the children were often at different schools. During the years in Switzerland and the Netherlands, the family went on many wonderful European trips, including a Bulgarian ski trip which ended up in Istanbul via the Orient Express. Barbara organized the trips and was always calm and effective in the face of unexpected or unusual circumstances.
In 1978, Barbara and the family returned to the US and settled in Miami, FL where Roger practiced law. With more free time, now that the children were older, Barbara spent many years working with non-profits dedicated to literacy. In particular, Barbara worked for a decade tutoring a dyslexic adult, thereby giving the student literacy tools for life.
Even with children raised, Barbara showed herself as a preeminent caretaker. She helped her mother in her last years of poor health. In her own home or outside the home, she cared for Roger’s twin brother who had mental health challenges over the course of many decades. She worked hard to help others who found themselves lost or children that needed a surrogate mother’s support. With all her service, she sought neither payment, not acknowledgement. Her kindness and patience with those who needed help will live on well beyond Barbara’s lifetime
Barbara always loved children and had a fountain of patience with them. Her children have fond memories of tyrannizing Barbara into playing one board game after another. She was happy to spend time with all children but she particularly relished the arrival of grandchildren and welcomed caring for them. All of the grandchildren, Anji, Kiki, Alexandra and Theodore, loved their vacations with Barbara at Grove Isle. Barbara and Roger spent many happy years living at Grove Isle and welcoming family and friends to visit.
Barbara is survived by her beloved husband of 72 years, Roger, and her younger sister, Judy Vander (husband Arthur). Her children are Nancy Warren, John (wife JIanJian) and Elise (husband John). Her grandchildren are Anji, Kiki, Alexandra and Theodore, predeceased, and greatgrandchildren are Tatiana and Teddy.
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