Barbara E Neubert

At the age of ten, Barbara and her family moved to Tempe, Arizona. She graduated from Tempe High School, Class of 1954, and began her college education at Arizona State College as a business major before transferring to the College of Education for her junior year. Seeking the experience of attending school away from home, she transferred again for her senior year and graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1958 with a degree in Elementary Education.

Barbara began her teaching career in California, where she taught for two years. After her first year of teaching, she married the love of her life, Walter J. Neubert, in 1959. She taught one additional year in California before starting her family and then took an eight-year hiatus from full-time teaching. The family moved back to Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1961 and later relocated to Tucson in 1968, where Barbara began her 30-year teaching career with the Tucson Unified School District. She continued her education throughout her career, earning a master’s degree in Elementary Education in 1972, along with her Administrative Certification.

After retiring in 1998, Barbara devoted herself to her second passion—travel. She explored destinations around the world, including Australia, Germany, China, Central America, Russia, the Holy Land, and Africa on safari, as well as many places throughout the United States.

Throughout her life, Barbara found great joy in being involved with her community and serving others. From a young age, she eagerly participated in Camp Fire Girls, the Girls Athletic Association (GAA), the Future Homemakers Association (FHA), and Rainbow Girls. During her college years, she continued to build lasting friendships and leadership skills as a member of Chi Omega Sorority and the OƯ-Campus Women’s Club, and she proudly served as Vice President of the Associated Women’s Students.

As an adult, one of the first organizations Barbara joined was the American Association of University Women (AAUW), an organization that remained close to her heart and with which she stayed actively involved until the time of her death. While raising her family and pursuing a fulfilling teaching career, she generously gave her time and energy to many other groups, including the Arizona Federation of Junior Women’s Clubs, Girl Scouts (GSA), Boy Scouts (BSA), United Methodist Women (UMW), and Alpha Delta Kappa (ADK). In her later years, Barbara continued to stay socially and philanthropically engaged through AAUW, ADK, United Women in Faith (UWF), the Red Hats, several Bunco groups, and Phi Beta Psi, an altruistic organization supporting cancer research.

Beyond her travels and community service, Barbara found joy in the arts. She loved attending plays and musical performances, especially at the Gaslight Theatre, and expressed her creativity through watercolor painting, quilting, sewing, ceramics, crafting, and scrapbooking. She also cherished quiet time spent reading mysteries and watching British mystery programs.

Barbara was preceded in death by her parents and by her beloved husband, Walter, who died in 1975. She is survived by her son, Erich J. Neubert, of Colorado; her daughter, Karen L. Veigel, and her husband, Cary, of Texas; her son, Kurt W. Neubert, and his wife, Linda, of Tucson; and her daughter, Christine L. Neubert, of Gilbert. She is also survived by ten grandchildren—Amber Meshberger, Walter Veigel, Robert Veigel, Ashley Simmons, Courtney Neubert, Kendra Neubert, Shelby Neubert, Theodore Simmons, McKenzie Neubert, and Nikolai Oskowis—and nine great-grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life honoring Barbara’s well-lived life of love, adventure, family, and friendship will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 14, at St. Paul’s Methodist Church, 8051 E. Broadway Blvd., Tucson. Those wishing to honor Barbara’s memory may make a gift in her memory to Phi Beta Psi (phibetapsi.org) or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Barbara’s life was a testament to faith in action. She believed in serving others, loving generously, and trusting God’s plan even through life’s challenges. Her family finds comfort in knowing she now rests in God’s eternal care, reunited with loved ones who went before her. We thank God for the gift of her life and for the lasting legacy of love, faith, and service she leaves behind.