Barbara Jean Clear

Barb and her family moved to Tennessee when she was 5 or 6 years old. After that, her family moved in 1955 to Los Alamos, New Mexico, where her father started a job at Los Alamos National Laboratory. She lived in New Mexico until 1967 when her family moved to Upper Arlington, Ohio. Los Alamos was “home” to Barbara having spent her entire childhood there. She graduated from Los Alamos High School June 2, 1966, and then attended Eastern New Mexico University.

After moving to Ohio with her family, she attended Ohio State University. Finding academics not to her liking, she took a job as a secretary in the office of the Dean of Civil Engineering. This led to a secretarial position in OSU’s newly-created department of traffic engineering where she met her future husband, Doyle Clear. Barb and Doyle were married November 29, 1969, at Riverside United Methodist Church in Upper Arlington, Ohio.

Barbara and Doyle moved to the Washington D.C. area in 1970 as part of his military obligation. Barbara took a job with Safeco Insurance as a secretary for an agent. Then she took a secretarial job with the American Trucking Association in downtown Washington D.C. After starting to raise a family, she did not work outside home until about 1985 when she took a job as a teacher’s aide at Burtonsville Baptist Nursery School. After Barb and her family moved back to the Columbus area in 1987, she was employed by OSI Collection Services in Dublin where she had daily contact with clients, attorneys and borrowers. She then worked for Gordon Flesch Company in Dublin as an account agent assisting with account issues and reconciliations. In 2005, she received the Employee Recognition Award – which included an all-expenses-paid trip for Doyle and her to Jamaica. She retired from Gordon Flesch in 2013.

Barbara was a faithful member of Methodist churches wherever she lived including: The First Methodist Church, Los Alamos, New Mexico; Riverside United Methodist Church in Upper Arlington, Ohio; Ashton United Methodist Church in Ashton, Maryland; Indian Run United Methodist Church in Dublin, Ohio; and Cornerstone Global Methodist Church in Marysville, Ohio (where she was received into full membership April 14, 2024).

Barbara is survived by her husband, Doyle; children Lisa (Mike) Waickman and Kevin (Krista) Clear; siblings Jerry (Karen) McKown, Bette McKown, and Patricia (Rae Rooney) McKown; sister-in-law Cheryl Walter; grandchildren Kevin Waickman, Alexis Waickman, Camden Clear, Anna Clear, Noah Clear, and Brenden Clear; and several cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Barbara bravely battled the progression of dementia over the past few years. Seizures in May and June of 2024 caused Barb to take up residence in the memory care unit at Dublin Retirement Village. The family wishes to thank Senior Star staff and all the wonderful nurses and caregivers for their comprehensive and loving care of Barbara.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, June 30, at Schoedinger Dublin, 5980 Perimeter Drive, Dublin, Ohio 43017, with visitation one hour before the service.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Central Ohio Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Perhaps someday future generations will be able to better manage this debilitating disease.