Barbara Bennett Kalivoda

Our precious beautiful mother entered the presence of Jesus on August 10, 2021 after a short illness. Born in DeRidder, Louisiana in 1929 to Henry and Lula Mae Bennett, Mother was one of a kind from the beginning. Filled with incredible charm, energy and creativity, Mother lit up every room she entered with her friendly smile and effusive personality. Quick to laugh and find humor in every situation, she simply exuded fun. Widely known for her ability to tell a good story—often a scary one—Mother even authored a children’s book entitled Colonel Neverfail’s Christmas. Graduating from McNeese State University in her early 40’s while her three daughters were teenagers, she went on to teach art and English at DeRidder High School. She moved to Baton Rouge in 1976 working first as a housemother for LSU’s Sigma Nu fraternity, then as in-house editor for Fidelity Bank and publications editor for the state’s Department of Education. In 1980, she was selected to serve as director of Louisiana’s first statewide Litter Control and Recycling program. Over the next decade, she was instrumental in building networks to establish local litter awareness programs throughout the state and creating educational materials for use in schools and communities. She promoted successful and innovative legislation to enable groups and individuals to sponsor and adopt sections of state roads and to use prisoners for litter removal. She established and chaired Keep Louisiana Beautiful which was awarded first place national honors in 1990 by the Keep America Beautiful organization. She was one of the original members of the Louisiana Beach Sweep program to rid beaches of unsightly and harmful debris and received the National Conservation Award from the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1992. After retiring and marrying Nick Kalivoda in 1992, she joyfully devoted herself to her family, oil painting, gardening and her husband’s Bible teaching ministry. She is survived by her three daughters: Karen Catalano and her husband George; Debbi Coltharp and her three sons, Christian Coltharp-Parr, David LeClere, and Josh LeClere; Pam Coltharp and her husband Rex Rainach; her great-granddaughter Stella; and her beloved schnauzer Maggie. She is also survived by her nieces, nephew, and their families: Gail Bennett, Marsha Rector, and Alan Bennett Jr., as well as her stepsons: Nick Kalivoda III and his wife Shelia; Eric Kalivoda and his wife Teresa; and Chris Kalivoda. She was predeceased by her parents and her dear brother Alan Bennett Sr. Mother was loved by everyone who knew her—and she loved them back. Her laughter, graciousness, and the twinkles in her eyes will be greatly missed. A memorial service will be held at a later date. In her memory donations may be made to one of her favorite charities, the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.