Barbara Ann Marela

Barbara Ann “Barb” Marela (Gibbs); loving wife, mother, grandma, great and great-great grandma, sister and aunt passed peacefully on December 5, 2025 surrounded by those who adored her.

She was born in Chicago on January 4th, 1939, to her parents Andrew and Anna Mae Gibbs (Eckle). Following her mother’s passing when she was three, she and her brothers Andy (Marge), John (Sharon) and Jim (Judy) gained a new and loving mother when her father married Josephine (Dickman) whom she cherished.

Barb’s life changed the day she agreed to a blind date arranged by her college roommate at Michigan State, a date that turned out to be one of the greatest love stories her family every witnessed. It was that night she met Richard (Dick), the man who became her forever love story for over 60 extraordinary years, and who she is now rejoined with.

Their love is survived by generations of family they created starting with their four children: Patricia (Torrey), Debbie, Linda (Keith) and Robert; grandchildren: Christine (Jere), Cari, Bobby (Tara), Laura, Julia (Brendan), Valerie (Frank) and Jackie (Andre); great-grandchildren: Jordan, Andrew, Hayley, Cassidy, Madison, Avery, Logan, Mason, Frankie, Liana, Sienna and great-great-grandchild: Jaxon. Additionally, she leaves behind many nieces and nephews who were touched by her kindness.

Barb found joy in the simple, shared moments of sitting around the table beating everyone at cards or games, savoring the occasional grasshopper cocktail, visiting with her friends, or trying her luck at the riverboat slots. She savored every game, every joke, and every reunion.

Her legacy will not only be seen in the generations that follow, but in the stories, the traditions, and the laughter that will continue to live on.