Barbara J. Kidder

Barbara Jean Kidder of Chesterbrook, PA, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 19, 2025 after living with Inclusion Body Myositis for many years. Barbara, born in 1946, grew up in Broomall, PA, with her loving parents, Gordon and Dorothy Kidder, and her beloved sister, Carolyn. She was also grateful for the happy relationships she had, and the wonderful memories she made, with her extended family of grandparents, aunts and uncles, and many cousins. After attending public schools, she graduated from Temple University with a degree in psychology and then worked in the field of social welfare, and later in the fields of finance, real estate, and education. She enjoyed success in all of the positions she held, and was well liked by bosses and fellow employees.

Barbara was an incredibly kind and thoughtful person, always looking for ways to make the world a little better for humans and animals. She rescued many cats who were then treated like royalty as members of her household. She marched for civil rights in the sixties and, throughout her life, supported, with money and time, organizations that worked to create a more fair and equitable society. In her personal relationships she had the ability to make folks of all ages feel special and cared for.

Travel was a joy for Barbara. Almost every summer in her childhood her family made trips to eastern NY and western MA, mostly to visit grandparents and other relatives, occasionally with excursions to other parts of New England. There were also two unforgettable trips out west. As a young adult she traveled in a camper-van through Europe and later in life she and her sister enjoyed luxury cruises to the west and north of England with extended stays in the beautiful villages and farmlands of the north. She was always excited to see new places and have new experiences. She used her interest of, and talent in, photography to document many of those trips, focusing on the beauty of nature and the friendliness of the people she met.

Barbara was intelligent, well spoken, brave, and had a wonderful sense of humor. In spite of her diminishing physical abilities from Inclusion Body Myositis, she was quick to find laughter in many of her daily struggles, and good at identifying the positives in even the most challenging of situations. She was a careful and compassionate listener, always ready to see things from the perspective of others, and generous in every way. She was a gift to all who knew her and will be dearly missed by her loving sister, her close friends, and all whose lives were lucky enough to intersect with hers.

Barbara's services will be private. In lieu of flowers memorial donations in her honor may be made to the Johns Hopkins Myositis Center Development. Please forward donations to the Mason F. Lord Building, Center Tower, Suite 358, 5200 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21224