Barbara was born in Yonkers, New York on April 1, 1930, the sixth of seven children, to Ernest and Frances (Ireland) Mehr. She had fond memories of her childhood, despite the depression-era hardships her family faced. She loved telling us stories of her mother, who in addition to taking care of everyone worked as a seamstress in Manhattan. Times were different then–our Nanny would mix and knead bread dough every morning before she left on the train to go to work, and it was Barbara’s job to “punch it down” after it rose.
Barbara graduated from Mount St. Vincent College in 1952 with a degree in English Literature. She had a bit of a taste for adventure, so after graduation she went to work for the CIA in Washington DC. She was quite independent in her day–eschewing marriage and leaving home for a job in a different city, all on her own.
It was at the CIA where she met her husband, Carmine Vito, a U-2 pilot. They married in 1960 and enjoyed 43 years of marriage before his death in 2003. They and their four children traveled the world with the Air Force before settling in Austin in 1977.
Barbara took it all in stride–packing up the boxes, packing up the kids, and embracing every move with excitement and energy that gave us children the confidence to accept the changes and quickly acclimate to the next new place. She wasn’t flashy–on the contrary she was introverted and quiet, often deflecting attention away from herself. But make no mistake about it, she was the rock of our family. She always put us first and always did the right thing–it never occurred to her to even entertain anything else.
Barbara enjoyed her time in Austin! She and an Air Force friend Jane Day ran a small cafe for several years above the old Yarings on “the drag” called the Eagle’s Nest. She also worked for the state before retiring in the late 1990’s. After that she kept busy volunteering at the Texas Wildflower Center (20 years of service!) and ushering at Bass Concert Hall at the University of Texas. She was also an active member of her church, St. Catherine of Siena. She was an avid reader, she loved classical music, and she religiously followed all things tennis.
She is survived by her four children, Sue Klein (Tom), Mark Vito (Melissa), Beth Fay (Chris), and Janet Vito (Michael Kerwick). She is also survived by eight grandchildren: Laura and Michelle Klein, Jacob and Ava Vito, John and Claire Fay, and Kaden and Ryan Kerwick.
A funeral mass will be held at Saint Catherine of Siena, 4800 Convict Hill Rd., Austin, at 10am on Friday July 19. Reception will follow at the church.
In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to Hope Alliance at
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