Barbara “Bobbie” Surburba Boyd Cofield was born on February 9, 1928 in Johnson City, Tennessee to the union of Sidney B. and Hazel B. Boyd. She was the eldest of eight children. Barbara attended primary and secondary school in Johnson City, Tennessee and then went on to complete her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in Psychology at Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina, where she was a member of the Pyramid Club of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
After college, Barbara relocated to Washington, D.C. to pursue work with the federal government as an Executive Secretary for the Department of State. In this role as executive secretary, she excelled and received many outstanding awards. Barbara later became a social worker for the Social Rehabilitation Administration, where she eventually retired in 1972.
On May 9, 1952, Barbara married Arthur J. Clement and to that union three children were born (Mark Roderick, Vicki Lynn, and Kelli Rachelle).
After retirement, in 1976, Barbara relocated from Washington, D.C. to Kansas City, Missouri and began working as an Administrative Assistant for the Upward Bound program at Rockhurst College. In this role, she found herself mentoring the staff and kids that admired her.
In 1984, she married Charles L. Cofield and together they became members of Palestine Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Reverend Earl Abel. She was a member of the Senior Choir and participated in Sunday School Class #6.
Although retired, she was not a woman who could just sit at home. She reentered the workforce with the Missouri Department of Social Services (Children’s Division) as a paraprofessional, where she worked for more than 15 years. Barbara also volunteered for Kansas City Hospice, The American Heart Association, and worked for the Kansas City Election Board, which she thoroughly enjoyed.
Barbara was a captivating person with a lively personality. She was always direct and willing to help. She was known to be feisty, but she also brought a sense of wisdom while giving moments of laughter during stressful situations. She enjoyed dancing, dogs, kids, spending time with her family, completing crossword puzzles, and scratching off lottery tickets.
Barbara is preceded in death by her mother (Hazel Boyd), father (Sidney Boyd), and her brothers (Sidney Boyd Jr. and Cecil Boyd).
Barbara leaves to cherish the loving memory of her three children, Mark Clement (Paris, France), Vicki Frazier (Kansas City), and Kelli Wyatt (Kansas City); Her siblings, Sarah Tramel (Horace) (Los Angeles), Hazel Fisher (Los Angeles), Donald Boyd (Los Angeles), Carl Boyd (Kansas City), Gary Boyd (Washington, D.C.); Her four grandchildren, Ashley Frazier (Dallas), Briana Childs (Marvin) (Kansas City), Dr. Ericka Frazier (Dallas), and Christopher Wyatt (Los Angeles); Her great grandson, Jaiden Jordan (Kansas City), and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends in D.C., California, Minnesota, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, and Kansas City, Missouri.
