Barbara Jo Coen

She was born December 12, 1937, in Nebraska City, Nebraska, to William Woolsey and Josephine Davis. She began teaching at the age of nine, when she demanded that her little brother, Bill, learn all of the state capitals before starting kindergarten. She studied at the University of Oslo in Norway and received her bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Nebraska--Lincoln, where she was a member of Alpha Phi sorority.

Barbara was only 20 years old when she took her first job at an elementary school in Mississippi in 1957. She was shocked to find herself teaching in a segregated school. As she followed her husband to Air Force bases around the country, she taught migrant children, the children of sharecroppers, and other students who were deeply impoverished. These experiences inspired her lifelong dedication to ensuring that every child receive an equal education.

In 1981, Barbara received her master’s degree in education from the University of Nebraska--Kearney. She settled in Norfolk, Nebraska, where, as a single mother, she raised her only child, Lisa. As a Title I Reading Teacher, Barbara taught first through sixth grade students with a wide range of needs, including learning disabilities, neurodiversity, and English as a second language. Every year, she provided specialized instruction to over 100 students in three schools. As federal education programs were dismantled in the 1980s, she passionately lobbied for support for literacy and school accessibility.

In 1990, she married Richard Coen. He died in 1996, shortly before they planned to retire in Estes Park, and she moved into their dream mountain home alone. In 1998, she married Ralph Hollenbeck, and they lived in Estes until his death in 2019. Barbara was a member of St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, a teacher for Community Bible Study, and an avid traveler who visited all seven continents and 50 states. Barbara joined Beta Sigma Phi in 1965 and became a member of the Preceptor Gamma Tau Chapter in 2000. She treasured her friendships with her sorority sisters and embodied their motto of “Life, Learning and Friendship.”

Barbara had a lifelong love of dogs. She trained and showed Shetland Sheepdogs and was the founder of the 4-H Dog Club in Aurora, Nebraska. Two days after her death, her beloved and loyal dog, Cooper, crossed the Rainbow Bridge to join her.

Barbara is survived by her daughter, Lisa (Makie) Paradise; grandson Alexander Paradise; granddaughter Eliana Paradise and her fiancé Alex Morano; brother William (Kate) Davis; and nieces Victoria (Mike Creeth) Davis and Laura (Sean) Campbell. She was preceded in death by her parents and two husbands.

A funeral service will be held January 10 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Bartholomew’s Church in Estes Park with private interment at the Loveland Burial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Thompson Education Foundation.