BARBARA GARGANO

GARGANO BARBARA SMITH GARGANO Of Rockville, MD passed away on Wednesday August 8, 2018. She is the wife of the late H. Michael Gargano; dear mother of Michele A. Gargano and Kimberly G. Penn, and mother-in-law of George K. Penn; cherished grandmother of Kathryne, Lauren, and Avery Penn; adored friend of Kevin and Emma Owens and family; and is survived by countless other dear friends, including her canine companion Collette. Barbara was born in Cleveland, OH, the only daughter of Madge Greenshields and Charles Smith and was raised with many extended close family members. Barbara attended William and Mary College, earning a B.S. in mathematics. During her college years, she joined Kappa Alpha Theta, remaining an active member later in life, and was a member of MENSA. Following college, Barbara worked at Case Western Reserve, Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad and the Pentagon. She was a trailblazer in the computing industry, being one of the first women to work on large mainframe computers. At the Pentagon, she met her husband, Michael. After raising their daughters, Barbara returned to her illustrious career at organizations such as General Electric, IBM, and Marriott International where she worked in Information Systems as a project lead and senior consultant and, along the way, mentored aspiring women in this traditionally male-dominated field. Career highlights include developing revenue management systems for Marriott and large billing systems for IBM. Barbara retired in 1999 to help care for her first granddaughter and began a new chapter as a doting grandmother and indispensable volunteer. Barbara was President and Treasurer of the Potomac Area Newcomer's Club (PANC), Treasurer and Board Member of Friends of the Library, webmaster at Strathmore Music Center, and Audit Committee Member with Interfaith Works. In more recent years, Barbara rediscovered a special love of oil painting, reading and bridge. She continually encouraged her granddaughters to passionately pursue educational and career paths of their own choosing. This is just one reflection of Barbara's constant generosity and unconditional love and how it impacted the lives of everyone who knew and adored her. While she will be deeply missed, her impact will be felt forever. Family and friends will be received at Robert A. Pumphrey Funeral Home in Rockville on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. A memorial service will be held at Potomac United Methodist on Thursday, August 16, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Barbara's name to William and Mary Giving at https://giving.wm.edu/give-now/index.php. Please view and sign the family guest book at: www.pumphreyfuneralhome.comwww.pumphreyfuneralhome.com