Obituary of Barbara Jean McDowell

Barbara Jean McDowell, our loving wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away Thursday, July 5, 2018, at Altercare of Big Rapids, at the age of 82. A memorial service will be held in her honor Monday, July 9^th, at 1:30 PM, at Altercare of Big Rapids. 

Barbara was born January 3, 1936, in Howell, MI, the daughter of Byron and Fern (Williams) White. She married the love of her life, Raymond McDowell on March 23, 1957, and together the two grew their family to include three daughters. Barbara worked as a bookkeeper at an A & P grocery store for many years, and was president of her local UAW for a time. She enjoyed Antiques shopping, sewing, archery, and cooking. Known to be lucky, Barbara often won the jackpot playing BINGO in Las Vegas during the winter.  She was a tough woman that raised tough daughters, always teaching them to speak their mind and be outgoing. Dedicated, determined, and caring were all words used to describe Barbara. She had many joys in life, but the greatest was always time spent with her grandchildren. She would keep them for a week at a time, and watched them during the day so they wouldn’t have to go to a babysitter.  

Left to cherish her memory are her husband of 61 years, Raymond; daughters, Lynda (Richard) Morrill, Laura Rykert (Jerry Berry), and Lisa Blanzy; grandchildren, James, Sean, Christopher, and Daniel Canham, Amanda Canaan, Alex Rykert, Lisha DeZelia, Benjamin Blanzy and Lance Blanzy; one sister; 11 great-grandchildren; her dear friend, Harriet, and many friends at Altercare. 

Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, four brothers, and two sisters.