Joan Y. Barber

Joan Y. Barber, age 89, of Farmington Hills, passed away peacefully with family present on August 15, 2025. Joan was living at Chelsea Retirement Community since 2017 where she enjoyed socializing with residents, participating in many activities, and making new friends.

Joan was born on July 6, 1936 in Brooklyn, New York to Stanley and Margaret Yarrow and was raised in Valley Stream on Long Island. She moved to Michigan to attend nursing school at University of Michigan. She practiced nursing briefly, marrying Robert J. Barber in 1959. Soon after, she became a mother to John Barber (Barbara), followed by Anne Alday (Nate), Carrie Pawlowski (Tom), and Amy Fedyk (John). She lived in the family farmhouse in Farmington Hills for nearly 60 years.

Joan returned to nursing in the 1980s as a postpartum nurse at St. Mary's Hospital in Livonia. She also earned a Master's degree in Historic Preservation from Eastern Michigan University as Joan was passionate about historic homes. Joan was an active member of the Farmington and Northville Historical Societies and St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Livonia. She obtained her Master Gardener's certificate through the MSU extension program. In her retirement, she enjoyed attending lectures from retired university professors through the SOAR program. She also enjoyed traveling across the country to visit family and internationally to explore China and Southeast Asia and as an Anglophile, to England. Before Bob's death, they traveled to Hawaii on a farm tour.

Joan enjoyed attempting to keep track of her 14 beloved grandchildren: Caitlin, Daniel (Brittany), Hannah (Steve), Stephen (Morgan), Alec (Samantha), Timothy, Maggie, William, Sarah, Kate, Matthew, Eliza, Anthony and Theo and 4 great grandchildren: Alexander, Lukas, Jordan and Nathaniel. Her surviving family include her dear sisters, Phyllis (Jerry) Coulter and Susan (Ron) Cook and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Robert J. Barber and granddaughter, Emily Alday.

A memorial service will be held at Chelsea Retirement Community on Friday, August 29 at 10 am, Towsley Chapel, 805 W. Middle St, Chelsea, MI.

A graveside service will be held at Yerkes Cemetery, Northville, MI (located at the intersection of 8 Mile Rd and Meadowbrook Rd on the south side of 8 Mile Rd) on Saturday, August 30 at 11 am, followed by a memorial gathering at the family home in Farmington Hills.