Barbara S. Cooper

Barbara Stechenberg Cooper, a resident of Chula Vista, passed from this Earth on August 20 suddenly after a short hospital stay, with her Husband Stanley, and children close by.

She was born in the Bronx, New York City, on March 3, 1939 the daughter of Molly Goldstein (Goldhack) Stechenberg and William Stechenberg.

Barbara earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Ramapo College in Rockland County, NY in 1980. After earning her Master’s Degree in Social Work from San Diego State University in 1992, she worked for Jewish Family Services Senior Center providing needed services and emotional support to seniors, especialy Holocaust survivors. She always loved working with seniors, as it reminded her so much of living with her grandmother Ruchel, and other members of her large extended family as a child, which was one of her greatest childhood comforts.

Barbara lived and worked in New York until 1983 when she relocated to San Diego County to start a fairytale romance that became a 34 year love story with her current husband, Stanley W. Budz. They were best friends and shared a deep loving bond that was admired by all around them.

Barbara was a devoted mother, wife and grandmother, and a woman with a gentle and kind spirit. Barbara was intelligent, generous, funny, loving, optimistic, and had an inner light which drew people to her and connected her with people right away. She loved children and animals, and had a deep spritual connection to nature. She was a rights activist and came to the defense of all living things, human or otherwise. She loved dogs and cats, and took in many strays over the years, all of which thrived under her guardianship. She was also a maven when it came to the Great Hollywood Actors and Actresses of the 1920’s thru today. Her favorite pasttime was watching the old classic movies with her husband. While she fought for many years against debilitating chronic illnesses, this never dimished her spirit or her drive to heal. She was a role model for quiet strength and perserverance, and was beloved by many. She had a ‘good soul’.

Barbara is survived by her husband, Stanley; her former husband Ronald Pomerance; her two children: Renée Pomerance Brown, of Moreno Valley, CA; Wendi Pomerance Brick and her husband Donald Brick, of Escondido, CA; stepson Devon Budz and his partner Gabriella, of Eugene, OR; and stepdaughter Buffy Budz and her partner Steve Downes, of San Diego, CA; and her four grandchildren Sarah Nichols, Carly Nichols, Tony Nichols II, and Jeffrey Brown, Jr.

By invitation only, there will be a memorial service at Glenn Abbey Memorial Park on August 30, and the family will be sitting Shiva in the days that follow. Should friends desire, contributions in Barbara’s memory may be made to any nonprofit benefitting children or animals, including St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, which was one of her favorites.