Barbara Jean Guy

Barbara Jean was born on May 13, 1952 in Newark to Lester and Helen Gaskins. Raised along with her grandparents, aunts, and uncles, this encouraged her to be highly family oriented. As a child, Barbara Jean was fascinated with creation. Her grandfather, Bucky, began to teach her about the different galaxies that we observe, how the stars align, and even the way the moon changes.
Barbara Jean attended school in the East Orange district, and graduated from East Orange High School in 1970. It was around this time that she suffered a major change to her health. Despite this change, Barbara Jean loved to laugh, be with her friends, and she adored singing. She was blessed with a strong, boisterous singing voice. That voice took Barbara Jean and her music group throughout different cities for competitions. Although those competitions were religious, she always wondered how she could get closer to Jesus and his father besides just singing. While working at the White House Nursing Home, she began studying the Bible with a close friend from high school who was one of Jehovah's Witnesses. She learned that some of the individuals in her singing group also started studying the Bible with the Witnesses. She continued to learn about Jehovah and dedicated her life to him on February 5, 1978. From then on she used her voice for Jehovah and him alone.
This zealous and vibrant personality attracted a certain gentleman. After the Thursday night meeting on the corner of Elmwood and Telford, Benjamin Guy asked Barbara Jean to be his wife, to which she shockingly replied, "I"ll Get Back To You !". They prayerfully started the courting process and she eventually said yes, yes to loving him and the bonus family that he provided. She had accepted that due to her illness, she may not have a child of her own, that was until 1989 when she received the surprising news that she was in fact pregnant. Although high risk, it was a successful birth of their daughter Montrae'. Even though sickness consumed her body, most people never knew it. She continued sharing in the preaching work in all forms, even letter writing. One thing she always lived by is to be grateful to Jehovah no matter what and to not give up. Barbara Jean had a special relationship with each and every one, and now we wait patiently to join in with her boisterous harmony in the new world to come.
Barbara Jean will be remembered by her mother Helen, sisters Yvonne and Karen, daughters Carol and Montrae', sons Carlton, Eric, and George, 12 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and a myriad of loving friends.