Throughout her life she sought to fulfill the instructions of the Psalmist (34:14) to “Seek peace and pursue it” and the prophet Micah (6:8) “to do justice, love compassion and walk humbly with God.”
Ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 1979, Barbara served six churches in Ohio, Illinois and Minnesota, and served as Interfaith Campus Minister at the College of Wooster and at Sinclair Community College. She worked with the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, leading international travel study seminars, writing peacemaking resources for congregations, and assisting with the International Peacemakers Program and the Interfaith Listening Project. Locally, she worked for interfaith dialogue, multi-faith understanding, and the Beloved Community of economic, political, social, and gender justice of which Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed.
Barbara was born October 23, 1950 in Cleveland, OH, daughter of Helen Jane Barr Battin and John Leo Battin. She married James Andrew Clay in 1999. She hopes that Jim and his daughter Rita and her husband Brent Black will continue to tell stories about her that will bring forth laughter. She gives great thanks for their good care during her recent journey with cancer. She encourages her brother, David Barr Battin, nephews Joha (Jayne), Patrick (Shanna), and Michael to continue trading puns in her honor and to share both silly and serious memories. Niece Carisa (and great nieces Rebecca and Emma), and nephew Matthew may be sharing remembrances as well. Barbara is also grateful for sister-in-law Jean and her husband Mark Radice, for nieces Caroline (Jason) and Elisa (Carl), for nephews Nick and Peter, for great niece Fern and great nephew Birch, for Barr and Battin family cousins, and a wide circle of chosen family and friends who have been a cradle of care, compassion and prayer.
Barbara is so very grateful to all those on the medical team who tended her on her most recent cancer journey, including nurses Candy, Donna, and Sheila, NP Carol Nikolai, Dr. Heather Pulaski, Dr. Guy Savir, and especially Dr. Mark Romer, who provided care for two of her three cancer journeys. The Poplar staff at Hospice of Dayton provided compassionate care, support and comfort at Barbara’s end of life.
For many years, Barbara closed worship with these words as part of the benediction: “May the blessings of God rest upon you. May God’s peace abide in you. May the presence of God illuminate your heart, now and forevermore.”
A Celebration of Life will be held at Cox Arboretum, 6733 Springboro Pike, Miamisburg, OH 45449, on a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Nonviolent Peace Force (2610 University Ave. West, St. Paul, MN, 55114), the Fellowship of Reconciliation (521 N. Broadway, Nyack, NY 10980), Holy Wisdom Monastery (4200 County Rd. M, Middleton, WI 53562), or Community of Living Traditions at Stony Point Center (17 Cricketown Rd., Stony Point, NY 10980).
