Barbara Jean "BJ" Reed

Barbara was born on January 28, 1953, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to the late Arthur and Jean Schmidt. In the late 1980s, she moved to Florida with her two daughters to begin a new chapter.

Barb’s greatest joy in life was her family. Her daughters were truly the apple of her eye, and she shared an especially close bond with her grandson, Jacob, who brought her endless pride and happiness. When her daughters were young, Barb was actively involved in their lives, often volunteering to coach their sports teams—where she was known for keeping things organized and running a tight ship.

A lifelong Wisconsin native at heart, Barb was a diehard Green Bay Packers fan. Sundays during football season were reserved for cheering on the Packers from in front of the television, cheesehead proudly in place. Barb loved Motown music and played the alto saxophone in her high school marching band. Barb also found peace and tranquility at the beach, where the smell of the salty sea air and the feeling of sand between her toes brought her comfort.

Barbara spent 36 years working for Bausch + Lomb until her retirement in August 2025. Barb worked in the shipping department, where she helped send out the very first units shipped from the Tampa facility in 1990. Barb also setup the international shipping process which paved the way for geo-expansion and the current 40+ countries B+L Tampa ships to today. Her dedication, experience, and presence left a lasting impact on B+L and all who had the privilege of working alongside her.

Barbara is survived by her daughters, Jaime Gallo (Josephine) of Temple Terrace, Florida and Cori Reed of Inverness, Florida; her beloved grandson, Jacob Alexander of Temple Terrace, Florida; her brothers, Thomas Schmidt (Lynda) and Kenneth Schmidt (Wendy), and her sister, Mary Beth Welhouse (Jerry), all of Wisconsin. She is also survived by her nephews Todd, Eric, Kevin, Adam, Timothy, Alex, and Lance; her nieces Jessica, Amy, Alicia, Lindsay, Amanda, and Amber; and several great-nephews and great-nieces.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Jean Schmidt, and her sister, Judi Nutter.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Blount & Curry, Terrace Oaks Chapel, located at 12690 N. 56th Street, Temple Terrace, FL 33617, on January 30, 2026, starting at 4:00 pm.