Barbara Love

Barbara June Love (nee Cooper), 85, of Lubbock, passed peacefully in her sleep on Thursday, May 5, 2022, after a determined battle with ovarian cancer. Barbara was born March 18, 1937, in Gatesville, TX to Don and Christine Cooper. Most of her early life was spent in Hobbs, NM. She moved with her first and now late husband, A.O. Smith to an Army base in California where her first two children were born. In 1968, she relocated with her young family and second and now late husband Jim Love to Anchorage, Alaska where she remained for 28 years.

In Alaska, Barbara had many adventures with her family and friends. For a time, she and Jim ran Tazlina Glacier Lodge, a hunting and fishing establishment along with a lot of help from their kids. Barbara enjoyed the great outdoors in all seasons including camping, clam digging and fishing in the summer, cross-country skiing, sledding, and snow machining in the winter.

Barbara worked hard her entire life and instilled a strong work ethic in her children. She spent her professional career working in health care and continued to work well into her 70s. She enjoyed cleaning, quilting, knitting, yard work and caring for her beloved dog, Tillie.

She made life-long friends in the many states she called home including New Mexico, California, Texas, Maryland, and Alaska. Barbara was known for her faith in God, strong opinions, and her love for all things clean and organized. Because of her indomitable spirit and strong faith, she was the glue and matriarch that kept her family strong and connected, including close relationships with many nieces, nephews, and grandchildren right up to her death.

She is survived by her daughter Deb (Mike) Shoemake of Lubbock, TX; daughter Dona (Joe Breen) Love of Rockville, MD; son Rick (Ruby) Smith of Camas, WA; step-children Jimmy Love Jr and Lisa (Mike) Palmer of Granbury TX, and Patsy Love of Conifer, CO; brother Kenneth (Carole) Cooper of Lubbock TX and 15 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren. Barbara's death was preceded by her sister Peggy (George) Sweeney and brothers Sonny and Troy Cooper.

Celebration of Life Memorial Services will be held at 11 AM on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in the Combest Family Memorial Chapel, under the personal care and direction of Combest Family Funeral Homes and Crematory. Elizabeth Abraham, Chaplain with Hospice of Lubbock, will be the officiant.