Barbara Elsa Hines
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Barbara Elsa Hines, 67, left this world peacefully after a brief time under home hospice care at her home, May 20, 2023, in Downingtown, PA.
She was the partner of Keith Millington also of Downingtown, a constant in her life for over 20 years. She was previously married to and divorced from Barry Hines with whom she had a son Daniel.
Born in Weinheim, Germany June 26, 1955, she was the daughter of the late Francesco Donato Corbo and Irma Jungmann Corbo.
When she was young, she moved often; she was an “Army Brat” from 1955 until 1962 when her father died serving his country in Korea. She had lived in places from Michigan to Texas to Mississippi and finally Germany where she learned to speak German which allowed her to form a lifelong connection with her German aunt Lina. She and her family had moved to Coatesville when they received news of her father’s passing. She grew up in the Coatesville and Downingtown/Johnstown area surrounded by aunts and uncles, cousins and friends. She and her cousins were as close as siblings and the friends she had made growing up at Roymar Hall in Coatesville were still her friends these many years later.
Barbara graduated from Coatesville Area Senior High school and attended Vocational Technical school for art and design and was a member of DECA.
After high school some of the jobs where she was employed was at the Piercing Pagoda as the manager and in the office of Hayes Real Estate. It was here that Barbara found a house for herself and Barry on Hibernia Road and made it her home.
Barbara was an essential employee at all job opportunities she encountered over her many years working. From early years at the Exton mall to the farmers market to the last position she held as office manager for Ben Valocchi, CPA where she worked for over 15 years. Barbara was his go to, right hand and girl Friday. Each position she held was an experience to thrive and bring innovative ideas to the table and she did property management, bookkeeping, payroll and tax preparation for Ben. She was so well loved by Ben, his wife Shelly, his family, Katie and Jake and indeed all eleven of Ben Valocchi siblings that she was “adopted” by the Valocchi clan. Every year after tax season, Ben would close the CPA office and rent a house for two weeks at the shore in Ocean City, NJ and he and his family would always invite Barb to join them.
She loved people and especially kids. She had an amazing ability to connect with people, young and old,
from all walks of life and could relate to them on so many levels. Barbara had a vivacious personality and consistently made people around her laugh, feel at ease and accepted; she brought calmness and peace to so many lives. Everyone she met was a friend and she genuinely wanted to know how they were doing. There was no such person as an acquaintance, everyone was touched by her kindness, and remembered her even after a short chat.
She was like a Pied Piper with kids – it wasn’t unusual to see Barb surrounded by kids or climbing a tree with them and then hanging upside-down with them. She had a child-like curiosity and innocence that drew them to her.
She was a member of the Harvest Worship Center in Downingtown. She was a woman of strong faith; it allowed her to endure and recover from two bouts of stage four lymphoma with endless rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and a stem cell transplant procedure. Her faith also allowed her to forgive people when they took advantage of her boundless generosity.
Barbara was a generous person – she donated to charities too numerous to list here and opened her home to those that needed refuge. Barbara was one to not shy away from volunteering. She would be present where she would be most needed and useful. One favorite of hers was Brandywine Hospital where she volunteered her time with Physical Therapy patients.
Barb had a passion and eye for detail in numerous aspects of her life from her unique fashion sense, her exquisite flower gardens, her charcoal drawings, her amazing talent with crafts and knitting that she would give as personal gifts, her own impressionist paintings and landscapes to her flair for decorating and remodeling; she always had a vision. She never lived in a space, room, or house where she didn’t leave her personal, imaginative and creative touch. She loved to change decorations to suit the season and she especially loved to decorate for Christmas.
Barbara had a love for music (the walls of her duplex home in Downingtown were thin and when she heard her neighbor singing, she would sing right along with her), karaoke singing, having gatherings at her home, especially picnics, pool parties and Christmas parties.
Summer was her favorite season. Any time she was near water she was happy - the beach was her tranquil place.
She loved movies, especially comedies and romcoms.
Barbara’s had a love for animals. All kinds were taken under her wing and made part of the family, from little mice she’d saved, a pet rat, a stray kitten, a feathered friend, (a cockatoo, Murray bird), a ferret, Moses, her sweet cat Austin, to beloved dogs Kelly, Ben, Mindy (I’m sure they are all walking alongside her right now) and sidekick Maggie, her “Velcro dog” that she left behind.
She is survived by a son, Daniel, Owen Martin Hines of Downingtown; sisters Madlin Rampulla of Ephrata, PA; Sue Koch of Quarryville, PA and brothers Gilbert Clites, Larry Clites and William Clites.
She was preceded in death by her sister Maria Albright of Downingtown. She had many nephews, nieces and great nephews and great nieces, cousins, that she spent a huge part in their lives and many memories were made. Family was so important to her, she followed and delighted in all their accomplishments and was there for them in good times and bad.
Barbara/Barb/Barbie/Babel/Babs was an extraordinary woman and will be greatly missed by all those she touched in this life.
In memory of Barb if you would like to wear an animal print or her favorite zebra print, we know she would have loved that …
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 10, 2023, at 11 AM at the Wilde funeral home in Parkesburg, PA with visitation starting at 10 AM until the time of service. Interment will be private at the convenience of the family.
A live stream will be provided on the day of the service for those not able to attend in person. To live stream the service please click HERE.
In Lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the following charities. The American Heart Association at www.heart.org/donate the American Cancer Association at Donate Today | The American Cancer Society or the ASPCA at Memorial Gifts | ASPCA.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Wilde Funeral Home of Parkesburg. Online condolences can be posted at https://www.wildefuneralhome.com/
Condolences
Barbara,
Barbara,
My
Beautiful
Vivacious
Generous
Gracious
Compassionate
Charming
Forgiving
Humorous
Witty
Strong
Courageous
Personable
Loving
Nurturing
Gentle
God-loving
Artistic
Playful
Childlike
Wonderful, love of my life,
has fallen asleep in death. I am devastated and brokenhearted.
I will love you 'til the end of my time.
Your Keithster buddy.
I love you and miss you mom;
I love you and miss you mom; I am devastated by your death. I am in shock and broken hearted. Life will never be the same without you; you are my sunshine. Thank you for all the love you showed me and your beautiful soul being a huge part of my life. Thank you mommy, I love you. You noo longer are suffering and you're home with God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You fially have peace, for that I am thankful. Love you to the moon and back, your loving son, Danny Owen Martin Hines.
My prayers are with you at
My prayers are with you at this time. I'm sure your mom, my dad, and my grandparents are sitting around the picnic table having a great time.
Barbara Hines
You will be miss my friend. We had many years of ago, our high school days were awesome memories. Much Love
So sorry to hear of Barb's
So sorry to hear of Barb's passing. She was such a lovely woman and a great neighbor to my grandparents for many years. She will be greatly missed by so many.
Rest in Peace “Aunt Bart!”
Rest in Peace “Aunt Bart!” You were loved by many and will be missed by many more!
I love you most
I guess it was 3 weeks ago we spoke and as always your gentle spirit made me smile than cry. As a child I would look at you like you were a super model, gorgeous, spunky and always happy. Now 40 years later I see you as a super hero. You can rest now and be at peace. I love you so much. Catch ya later alligator.
To the girl I met when we
To the girl I met when we were 12 years old picking strawberries. Thank you for our son Danny and the 30 years of memories. I will never forget you. May God Bless You and may
you rest in peace.
Mystery Poster
"Anonymous" is my dad, Barry Hines
I apologize to my family and
I apologize to my family and loved ones; I will not be attending my mother's funeral services. I was at a point that I was ready to have myself committed for my poor mental health and the passing of my beloved mother has me on the edge of doing so. I love you all, but I am not in the state of mind to be there. Please understand; again I love you all...the loss of my mother is taking it's toll on me and I am a mess, and must grieve privately for now.Love, Daniel Owen Martin Hines.
CASH class of 1974
We have many great memories of Barb Corbo over the years. On behalf of the Class of 74, a donation has been made in her memory to the ASPCA.
<3
You always accepted me for who I was. Thank you. I miss karaoke. I know you are up there with the girls. Love you ❤️
I love you, I miss you, and I
I love you, I miss you, and I think about you a lot everyday. I can't wait to see you again.
Heavens Angel
Blessings and strength to Barbs son, Daniel, Keith and family. I have such fond memories of our childhood friendship at Roymar Hall. Barb, as we called her Babel was a treasure and delight. May she Rest In Peace and sparkle in Heaven.
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,
You make me happy when skies are grey,
You'll never know dear how much I love you,
So please don't take my sunshine away.
Well, she was taken away from us...far too young and with so much life.
Thank you mom for being my sunshine. I love you, and I miss you so much that it hurts.
Where to go from here...
It still feels like a nightmare that I can't quite wrap my mind around; that woman fought to live, fought hard, and for her to be called home so suddenly...it's shocking, it's devastating, it doesn't seem fair...the last words she spoke (that I could comprehend) was her looking Keith straight in the eye and saying "I'm scared". Let me tell you that will stick with me until the day that I too, get called home. In the meantime, the fact is: she's gone (our loss, God's gain) but she will always be cherished, she will always be missed, she will always be loved, BUT she will NEVER be forgotten. As for me it's one foot after the other, step by step. I owe that woman a debt of gratitude; she was always there for me...when no one else gave a damn, there was mom, in my corner with love and wisdom to share, even when she was upset with me. We have a very special bond and not even death can break it. I love you mom; I miss you...but I'll have to get used to that. Til we meet again, with the deepest sincerity that I can muster, I will always feel indebted to you and I will always love you. I love you mom, and thank you. Love, Daniel Owen Martin Hines.
I’m so sorry to hear about
I’m so sorry to hear about Barb’s passing. I knew her about 40 years ago, and remember her being such a wonderful woman, always so kind and loving…all the beautiful things the obituary says. Though we lost touch years ago, she had a profound and everlasting effect on me.
Danny, you were very young back then, you had the best mom ever….you were her world! Grieve as you must, but let her love and devotion be what keeps you moving forward. It’s now your time to live FOR HER because she showed you how to do it! God bless you and all who knew her. Rest in peace, Barb,❤️
Monroe the Cat
Every night (in the daytime too), I thank God and Jesus for the beautiful companion I've been blessed with...Monroe the cat. I also ask Them to thank my mother who allowed me to adopt him around April of 2021 while I was going through a rougher patch than normal. My dear mother helped to bless me with such a loving companion; so it's not lost on me that God blessed me through the love and understanding of my mother. So I just wanted to "publicly" thank my mother for her role in allowing me to share love and life with one of God's precious creations; so thanks mom. I love you, I miss you, and I'm overjoyed in knowing that she finally has true peace (something she prayed for quite often). As a lover of animals she always expressed a concerned interest in how Monroe was doing, if I was playing with him, loving him, etc, and she wasn't really a "cat person" as she always gravitated more towards doggos. But because she loved me and loved animals she allowed me to bring him home from the shelter.
Thanks again mom (Monroe has such a vital role in my emotional state), I will always love you, and I can't wait to see you again. I think you'll look like you were in your late teens or early 20's even though I didn't really know you at that time because I was in your belly for most of that time. Idk; whenever I think about my mom lately I keep getting mental images of your senior high school picture. Who knows (God does) how it will work out, I just imagine I'll be overcome with joy and love when I actually DO get to see you again. Oh, I love you so much mom.
Missing you
I miss you so much, maybe too much Idk, I just know that I think of you everyday and night and I cry about the fact that you can only exist in my life as a memory. I think of all of the good times and it doesn't cheer me up like some people say because it makes me miss you more. And I think of all the time I could have spent with you but I wasted that time because I was selfish and caught up in my own little world, now my world is crashing down around me because I didn't realize how much I love you until near the end before God mercifully ended your suffering. There's so manny regrets; my biggest regret is not spending more time with you and getting to know you better. We were so close when we were younger and we kinda drifted apart and lived our own lives; I regret letting life and my own weaknesses get in the way of us being in each others lives. Idk what to do with myself, I miss you mom so much it literally hurts and makes me feel ill. Even though we drifted apart the loving paternal bond was always there and it still is, but you're not here to share it with, and it hurts. The fact that you are now a memory, and exist to an extent in my heart changes everything for me. I feel lost without you in my life mom. I love you and I miss you terribly. I'm happy that you are in perfect peace and love with our Father God and our Lord Jesus Christ. That's what matters the most; it's the ones that are left behind that suffer when such a beautiful soul leaves us. I miss you mom.
Wish you were here
Missing you everyday mom; still trying to cope with your presence fading into memories. I'm glad you're not suffering anymore and I believe you are with God and Lord Jesus Christ, wishing that you were still here would be selfish. I must admit that I slip up and wish you were here quite often because I am hurting so much, almost too much, in my missing of you and it hurts even more because you were my human comfort in times of distress, no one else, it was always you. I miss you mom, I love you and rest peacefully. Love, your son, Danny Hines
I miss you mom; I can hear
I miss you mom; I can hear you in my thouhts telling me that everything will be ok, and saying "Danny Hines, you crazy man". It sounds like you are talking to me when I was a little boy; your voice is trying to comfort me as a loving mother comforts her child. It brings on a weird wave of emotions; I feel joyous to 'hear' your voice, but distressed because on earth you exist as a memory now, and I miss you so much. I'm stuck mom, I'm not mad, in fact I remind myself everyday that I need to be happy for you even while struggling with you not being here. My mind tries to accept that you are gone from my life and I short-circuit because nothing seems to make sense without you here to love and be loved by. Mom, you are the only person that I've ever had a true, genuine, deep emotional relationship with, and without you I feel alone. I am overjoyed for you and God and Lord Jesus, mom, but everyday I am struggling to keep going because while you are in paradise my missing of you is crushing me. Your absence iss taking a mental and physical toll on me mom; it actually feels like part of me was ripped out yet I had emotional connection with that part of me was ripped away. The meds are NOT helping enough; they are like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. I don't want to be drugged out of feeling emotion, but I am strugglling and I'm trying to get help. I'm so grateful that you are my mom; I'd rather be going through this now than to not share the love and bond that we have. It reminds me of a song lyric "the price we paid to know you". I love you mom.