Barbara graduated from Beaumont High School in St. Louis, MO. She attended college at Monterey Peninsula College in Monterey, CA.
She gave birth to two wonderful children, Dawn L. Richardson and Quince A. McAllister.
After the passing of her aunt Dorothy Berry-Harris, she was instrumental in the upbringing of her 1st cousins, Wendell Harris, Yvonne Bass, Thelma Howard, Donna Brown, and William “Billy” Harris.
In 1972 Barbara and her best friend Patricia Everett decided to leave St. Louis in search of a better life in Sunny California. She orchestrated the migration of her grandmother Thelma Saunders and her 1st cousins to start a new chapter in life.
She began her career in California at the Monterey County Social Services Office in Seaside, CA. She started her civil service career working for the Department of Defense (DOD) in February 1981 and held various positions around the Peninsula within DOD. After 35 years of service, she retired in August 2015 from her position at the Presidio of Monterey.
Barbara attended several churches in the Monterey Bay area. Her first church home was Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Seaside, CA. She attended Community Missionary Baptist Church in Pacific Grove, CA. In 2000 she joined and remained a member of Holy Assembly Missionary Baptist Church in Marina, CA until her death where she was a proud member of the Usher Board.
She cherished spending time with her grandchildren and friends and family. She participated in the missionary work with her church to help feed the homeless and elderly. She enjoyed travelling and cruising around the world with her church family and her extended family who are known amongst the family as the “Cruisin’ Cousins”; Gwendolyn Albritton, Yvonne Bass, Waquita Smith, Quinten Pierce, and Tawana Pierce.
She married Larry Armstead in 1993. Their union lasted until his death in 2019.
She is preceded in death by her loving husband of 26 years, Larry Armstead; parents Hutchinson Ward Richardson and Bessie Marie Richardson; siblings, Sandra “Nuddie” Marie Williams, Darwin Richardson, and Hutchinson “Peter” Ward Richardson, Jr; and close first cousin, Thelma Howard.
Barbara departed this life on March 11, 2021 in Salinas, CA.
She leaves to cherish her beloved memories two children: Dawn Richardson of Marina, CA and Quince McAllister (Anna) of Marina, CA; grandchildren: Courtney De La Cruz, Armani McAllister, and Maikel Robinson; sisters: Deborah Anderson (Lawrence) of St. Louis, MO, Janice Gatlin (Troy) of St. Louis, MO, Cheryl Richardson of St. Louis, MO; stepchildren: Jennifer Armstead of Glen Burnie, MD and Latoya Steinbeck of St. Louis, MO; close first cousins Wendell (Pamela) Harris of Seaside, CA, Yvonne (Michael) Bass of Phoenix, AZ, Donna (James) Brown of Bangor, CA, and William “Billy” (Glenda) Harris of College Station, TX and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and many friends.
