Barbara E. (Bornstein) Lazar

Barbara (Bornstein) Lazar, of Waltham on Saturday, July 1, 2023. Beloved wife of Rabbi Jeffrey Lazar. Loving mother of David Lazar of Woburn and the late Peter Philip Lazar. Dear sister of Elise Bornstein. Cherished daughter of the late Barnard & Marion (Grossman) Bornstein.

Barbara was born August 31, 1947, in Brighton, MA, and grew up in Lexington. A graduate of the Lexington High School class of 1965 and star tennis player, she would attend Syracuse University, where on her first day, while signing up for Hillel, she met her husband of 55 years, Jeff. Barbara would finish her degree in education at the University of Cincinnati, becoming a second-grade teacher before giving birth to her first son, Peter, in Seattle, in 1971 and transitioning to full-time mother. She and Jeff would go on to live in Steubenville, OH, Detroit (where her son, David, was born), Philadelphia, Atlanta, and finally Waltham. As her children grew older, Barbara returned to work in bookstores and local libraries, where she continued her love of reading and connecting others with excellent literature. A Type 1 diabetic, Barbara, in 2002, received a kidney transplant from her son David, which helped extend her life another 20-plus years and enabled her to do more of what she enjoyed most: giving and helping to make others smile.

Barbara and her own radiant smile touched countless lives in her 75 years, from the children she taught to read, to the neighbors, friends, service workers, physicians, veterans, loved ones, and connections from all walks of life who benefited from her baking, gifts, cards, donations, and 11 volumes of collected poetry, songs, essays, and Americana she published over a 15-year span. Barbara was a proud patriot, who gave extensively to various veterans' organizations and held a deep and abiding faith in the timeless qualities of America and its greatest traditions. She created a beautiful home for her family, where she nurtured and shared with others a love of classic films, music, photography, art, and books, as well as prolific letter writing. Barbara’s Hebrew name is Barucha, which translates to what she was to all who knew and loved her, “a blessing.” May her memory, likewise, always be a blessing.

Graveside services at Westview Cemetery, 520 Bedford St., Lexington on Sunday, July 9 at 12 noon. Memorial observance immediately following the burial at Temple Beth Elohim, 10 Bethel Rd., Wellesley through 5 pm.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the American Diabetes Association, American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA 22116-7023.