Tributes

Barbara Jean Barnes Lutz (86) passed peacefully on Sunday, September 1, 2024, after a short but hard-fought battle with cancer. Barbara was a kind, intelligent, and generous woman who valued education, service, family, and friendship. She always said her greatest lifetime achievement was being a mom, grandma, and great-grandma, and that family was the most important thing in her life. In addition, she once wrote “I’d like to be remembered as a good friend, a good teacher, and a good leader of the organizations I participated in.” Barbara will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her. Barbara was born in Salina, Kansas, and after many years in government service, the Barnes family settled in San Antonio, Texas. Barbara is preceded in death by her parents, Cecil and Hazel Barnes, her older sister Patricia Babb, and her twin sister Beverly Hidy. Barbara is survived by daughter Cindra (Cindy) Rains and granddaughter Megan, and daughter Melinda (Minda) Ledsome, grandchildren Tanja and Christopher, and great-grandchildren Saxon, Eros, and Seraphina. She is also survived by younger sister Virginia Gates, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Barbara was a proud 1956 graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School. She attended Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University) and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics, Clothing and Textiles, degree in 1960, and earned her Master of Education degree in 1978 from Trinity University. Barbara taught elementary school in the Judson Independent School District for 35 years. She was recognized as Teacher of the Year at both Live Oak and Olympia Elementary, and Teacher of the Month at the district level. Barbara helped initiate the district’s Gifted and Talented Program and enjoyed guiding students toward finding their passion for learning. She shared her educational enthusiasm through service on the Board of Directors with educational associations Odyssey of the Mind and Texas Creative Problem-Solving Organization. Barbara donated much of her time through various civic and social organizations around town. She and her twin sister Beverly volunteered with the San Antonio Conservation Society and co-chaired the Snugglebun Booth at NIOSA for twenty-something years. Barbara was a regular at the Colonies North Swim and Tennis Club, and after moving into the neighborhood could be found helping with event planning, membership drives, and general upkeep. She was active in their tennis leagues years ago, proudly touting her trophies, and more recently, enjoyed keeping up with the group during aqua Zumba classes at the pool. Barbara was creative and artistic. She used her textile skills to make clothing and costumes for her girls and loved teaching her granddaughter to sew. Barbara was a wonderful artist and loved to draw, paint, and create. Everyone who knew Barbara can attest she had the greenest of thumbs. She loved working in her garden and proudly took care of her own yard, including mowing in the Texas heat. Barbara’s love for education and nature led her to become a Master Gardener. She relished helping others and participating in their many events. Barbara served as President of the Bexar County Master Gardeners Association and as President of the San Antonio Garden Center. Barbara also loved watching sports, with the San Antonio Spurs being her all-time favorite team. She loved going to Spurs games, and when watching from home, had a tradition involving candles and phone calls with one of her favorite friends. Every fall meant the weekend tradition of watching college and professional football. She loved the stories surrounding players in college and the precision of the NFL. Barbara was also an avid fan of professional tennis and golf who dreamed of visiting Wimbledon and was thrilled to have met Arnold Palmer. She played in many pools, picking NFL weekly winners, college football playoffs, and March Madness. Barbara cherished her time with the “Jeff Lunch Bunch”, a group of Jefferson friends who meet for lunch, grandchild bragging rights, and the latest gossip at La Fonda each month. She also played in a monthly bingo group with her sister Beverly and their friends for over forty years. Barbara truly valued her friendships and always made a concerted effort to stay connected. Barbara loved to travel and was always up for an adventure. Port Aransas was a must at least once per year, and even more often when the children were young. She loved to tell the story of how she rode a camel named Suzi during her trip to Jerusalem. Niagara Falls was one of her favorites, along with Alaskan Cruises and the Balloon Festival in Albuquerque. Barbara and a friend went to Iceland via Groupon, and when her granddaughter and great-grandchildren lived in Thailand, Barbara hopped a plane to go visit. Our family would like to thank the Mays Cancer Center, Touchstone Home Health, and San Antonio Home Health & Hospice for all the care and support provided over the last several months. Please join us as we celebrate the life of Barbara Lutz. We welcome everyone to bring their favorite story, picture, plant, or prayer ~ anything that reminds you of Barbara! Let’s share our best memories as we honor a life well lived! 🤍Celebration of Life🤍 2:00pm Sunday, September 8, 2024 San Antonio Garden Center 3310 N New Braunfels Avenue San Antonio, TX 78209 Finally, as an alternative to traditional offerings, we ask that family and friends consider a donation to the San Antonio Garden Center in Barbara’s honor. https://www.sanantoniogardencenter.org/donations