Barbara Ann Middlebrook

Barbara Ann Cunningham Middlebrook was born February 19, 1935 to Minor Vance Cunningham and Beatrice Mathias Cunningham in Denver, Colorado and died on May 31, 2025. Her family moved to Gardena, California when she was six years old. She attended Gardena public schools, graduating from Gardena High in 1954, in the early winter class .. Barbara was very active in the Gardena Foursquare youth group and even did some street preaching evangelism. She felt the call of God on her heart for serving Him in the ministry and she started attending LIFE Bible College in Los Angeles, California in 1954. She had degrees from LIFE Bible College and Azusa Pacific University and also attended Ashland Theological Seminary in Ohio.

Barbara met Charles "Chuck" W. Middlebrook at Bible College and they were married on August 20, 1955 in Gardena, California and remained married for 61 years until his death in 2016. The marriage produced three children: Gregory L. Middlebrook, Jeffrey W. Middlebrook, and Melody Ann Middlebrook Hawksworth.

Barbara, in the early years of marriage and family was bi-vocational having great secretarial skills and worked as a secretary to help support the family and Chuck's educational pursuits. Later she pursued her own higher education. She and Chuck put that love of learning and serving in all of their children and grandchildren.

With her husband Charles, she pastored churches in California, Yazoo City, Mississippi, and Columbus,

Georgia. She also taught at Mount Vernon Bible College in Ohio and at Life Pacific University in-California-. Barbara and Charles loved serving and pastoring a large Sunday School class for "Golden Agers" at Florence Avenue Foursquare Church for several decades. Wherever Barbara and Chuck ministered, whether in churches or teaching at college, or volunteering they always had a pastor's heart.

Barbara was an avid reader. It was common to find her at the local library checking out 4-6 novels and books every week.

Barbara and Chuck loved to travel in the states and Europe. They especially loved to do weekends and vacations in Cambria, California, a small quiet seaside town and passed that love on to their children and grandchildren.

Barbara is survived by sons Greg (Donna), Salmon, Idaho and Jeff (Sandy), Texas, son-in-law Mark Hawksworth, grandchildren Seth Middlebrook (Sarah), Stephanie Middlebrook, Andrew Hawksworth (Carissa), Matthew Hawksworth (Sue Zen Chew), and great grandchildren Chloe and Tess Middlebrook, and Luke and Caden Hawksworth, and brother-in-law, Bill (Juanita) Middlebrook.

She was preceded in death by husband Charles, daughter Melody Hawksworth, parents M. Vance and Beatrice Cunningham, and siblings Minor Vance Cunningham, Sherman Cunningham, and Joan Sanford.

Services for Barbara Middlebrook will be June 9, 2025 at Faith Bible Chapel in Salmon, Idaho.

Donations in honor of Barbara may be made to Life Pacific University, 1100 W. Covina Highway, San Dimas, California, 91773.