Barbara Rawe

Barbara Anne Rawe, nee Sparks, passed away peacefully on January 1st, 2026, at Suncoast Hospice in Palm Harbor, Florida. She was born on November 2nd, 1937, in Maysville, Kentucky, and grew up in Dayton, Kentucky, a place that shaped her childhood, her faith, and ultimately where she met the love of her life, James “Jim” Edward Rawe. They married on August 11th, 1956, beginning a partnership filled with devotion, laughter, and a shared commitment to family that lasted until Jim’s passing in 2022.

Barbara’s life was marked by movement, adventure, and the creation of a home wherever she went. After marrying, she and Jim briefly lived in Decatur, Alabama, where she discovered Big Bob Gibson’s Barbeque – a stop the family never missed when traveling through Alabama. They later settled in St. Louis, Missouri, one of the most memorable chapters of her life. There she raised her growing family, met her best friends, and formed cherished memories.

After her two oldest children graduated high school, Barbara, Jim and their youngest daughter moved to Pensacola, Florida, where they remained until the early 2000s before finally settling in Clearwater, Florida, the place they would call home for the rest of their lives. Barbara was the proud mother of four children: Jim, Amy, Melissa, and Lisa (deceased). She is survived by her children Jim Rawe, Amy Vassallo, and Melissa Kelly; her sons-in-law Ricky Vassallo and Marty Kelly; her grandchildren Jenna, Katie, Jay, Ali, Cara, Ty and Jessalyn; and her great grandchildren Addy, SJ, Mason and Emmy. She is preceded in death by her husband Jim, her daughter Lisa and her brother Amos. Her brothers Jim and Ken survive her and carry forward the Sparks family legacy.

Those who knew Barbara would describe her as vibrant, talkative, and poised – a woman who could strike up a conversation with anyone and, within minutes, know their life story. She loved old movies, reading, and country music from Merle Haggard to Toby Keith. She had a lifelong passion for genealogy and spent years compiling binders of family lineage, preserving stories and connections for future generations. Barbara had a gift for turning everyday moments into memories. She loved garage sales and had a knack for negotiating a deal. At family gatherings she was the unofficial photographer insisting on multiple poses and capturing every smile. She believed in honesty, respect and honoring one’s parents. Though Baptist by upbringing, she faithfully accompanied her husband to Catholic Mass every Sunday. Her love for her family was woven into everything she did, especially through the handwritten cookbook she created over decades. Holiday meals were built on her recipes, and she delighted in trying a new dish each year, turning experimentation into a tradition of its own.

Barbara’s life was full of stories that reflected her humor and heart. On her wedding night, she became homesick and returned to her mother’s house. When she first attempted to cook seafood for Jim, she bought only one oyster each – an early kitchen misadventure that inspired her lifelong joke, “It might be a peanut butter night,” whenever a recipe felt uncertain. She could light up a room with her laugh, often singing in the kitchen or catching up on posts from the popular Facebook group she created for her people who grew up in Campbell County.

Growing up, Barbara attended Bellevue Baptist Church, where she played piano in the choir. She graduated from Dayton High School, proudly marching in the band, and worked as a telephone operator before dedicating herself to raising her family.

A memorial service will be held at Sylvan Abbey in Clearwater, Florida at 11:00 am on January 25th, 2026. In Lieu of flowers the family kindly requests donations to the following link, which will be used to support Suncoast Hospice, honor the comfort and care they provided to Barbara and so many others, and commemorate her memory.

The family deeply appreciates the thoughts and prayers offered during this time. They take comfort in knowing that Barbara is now reunited in heaven with her husband and daughter, smiling down on everyone who honors her memory. She leaves behind a legacy of love, tradition, and the quiet strength of a woman who knew what she wanted in life and never settled for less. Her family will carry her stories, her recipes, and her spirit forward for generations.