Barbara Ann Kivyta

Barbara Ann Kivyta received her angel’s wings and peacefully entered eternal life on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at the age of 87. Barbara (Barb) was a loving wife, partner, mother, sister, grandmother, and friend. Barb lived a life rooted in faith, family tradition, and a zest for dancing, music, and travel.

Barb was born on April 29, 1938, in Brownsville, Pennsylvania to John Clark and Mildred Chalovich Clark where she grew up along the Monongahela River with her three brothers. In high school, she was on the women’s bowling team, the Kidettes. She attended a secretarial school and then moved to Brooklyn, New York. There, she met Bill Kivyta, at a church social dance, who would soon become her husband. They moved to Dallas, Texas on their honeymoon in 1963 so that Bill could start a job with Texas Instruments.

Bill and Barb owned a hobby and craft store in Dallas in the ‘70s, B’s Family Hobby Center, where many people from the community shopped for science projects, model airplanes, trains, boats, and art supplies.

In 1985 Barb lost her first love suddenly, at the early age of 47. She was working at the Sears repair center at the time and a few years later met her next partner in life, Hugh Sumner, who also worked there. They spent time together going to car shows and traveling to Triple D (Diners, Drive-ins and Dives) restaurants across the country.

Barb loved her family and valued those relationships and made every effort to take family vacations to Pennsylvania and New York to spend time with all the relatives and friends. She was a beautiful soul and had a way of making you feel as if you were family the first time you met her. She never gave a handshake, instead, always gave a heartfelt hug.

She is survived by her partner Hugh Sumner of over 30 years, daughters Pam Tracy (Bob), Cindy Pingry (Mark), Cecilia Carter (Brian), brother Bernie Clark (Charmaine), sisters-in-law Joan Clark, Michelene Clark, and Margaret Kivita, grandchildren Marisa Watt (Derek), Bobby Tracy, Kate and Will Pingry, Colt Carter, and great grandson Trace Watt.

Barb also had a special place in her heart for her many cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and one great, great niece who was born a few days before she passed. “When the Lord closes a door, somewhere he opens a window.”

She is predeceased in life by her parents Mildred and John Clark, her husband Bill Kivyta of 22 years, her sister Carolyn Clark, her brother Frank Clark and her brother Tom Clark who died three days after her in West Virginia.

A special thanks goes to the caregivers at Notice Home who made her last six months peaceful: Natalie, Martha, Cynthia, Irma, Juana and Jaidynn.

A memorial mass will be held at Mary Immaculate Church in Farmers Branch, TX. on May 1 at 11:00am. Interment will be at Calvary Hill cemetery.

May she rest in peace.