Barbara Sue Netzer

The world lost a beloved wife, mother, Baba, friend, and teacher, Barbara Sue Netzer, on Tuesday, May 9, 2023. Barb passed peacefully at her home in Kansas City, KS after many years of fighting chronic illness.

Barb was born July 17, 1949 in Dallas, TX, the daughter of Albert Fontaine and Mary (Dickens) Fontaine, whom she deeply adored. She spent most of her childhood and young adulthood in Pittsburg, KS. She lived in Kansas City, KS for the past fifty years.

Barb met the great love of her life, her future husband Greg Netzer while they both attended Pittsburg State University. They were united in marriage on March 10, 1973 in Pittsburg, KS. They moved to Kansas City, KS the same year. They later built a home in the Piper area in 1977. Barb and Greg had a shared love of gardening and even once accidentally kept working in the yard through a tornado warning. They recently celebrated fifty years of marriage.

There is nothing Barb loved in this world more than her family. She was a loving wife, devoted mother, and adored “Baba” to her grandchildren. When someone says “make a house a home”, that is exactly what she did over the years. Barb hosted countless Thanksgiving dinners, Christmases, birthday parties, and other special celebrations at her home. Anyone that had the pleasure of celebrating things with her knew it always involved a massive amount of snacks before dinner was even served. She was proud of the many family recipes she so graciously handed down over the years like her sweet potato casserole. With her children and grandchildren, she always had a special way of making every moment fun, with giant Easter egg hunts, arts and crafts, games, fondue pots, and the joy she found in giving presents to those she loved.

Barb’s other passion was the gift of teaching which so many people fondly remember her for. She taught kindergarten, 5th grade, and 6th grade reading in the Piper School District before retiring in 2011. Her former students remember her as kind, compassionate, and welcoming. She cared deeply for the children in her classroom and was known for finding exciting and unique ways to engage her classes. From making an interactive beach scene in her classroom to asking kids to create their own restaurant, you never had a boring day as her student. She was especially proud of all of the children she helped connect with books and find a love of reading throughout the years. Her impact on the hearts, minds and lives of so many through her years of teaching is immeasurable.

With great love and fond memories, she leaves her husband, three daughters; Brooke Clements and husband Ryan Clements of Olathe, KS, Andrea Murray and fiance Tony Martinez of Bonner Springs, KS, and Ashley Netzer and husband Justin Rupp of Kansas City, MO; four grandchildren - Abbie Clements, Emily Clements, Madelyn Clements and Sophia Murray and one sister, Wilma Chambers and husband John of Bloomington, IL. She was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved dogs awaiting her arrival in heaven, Khloe, Max, Lucky, Muffy, and Buffy.

The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. Monday, May 15 at the Chapel Hill Funeral Home, 701 North 94th Street, Kansas City, KS 66112. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 16, at the Chapel Hill Funeral Home with LaDon Gramling officiating. Burial will follow in the Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Condolences can be sent to Chapel Hill Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Great Plains SPCA.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.chapelhill-butler.com for the Netzer family.