Barbara L Kanter

Barbara lived an abundant life filled with family, creativity, hard work, and an extraordinary generosity of spirit. She was curious and resourceful, always creating something, learning something, caring for someone, or finding a new adventure to pursue. To know Barbara was to know a woman who gave freely of herself and loved with her whole heart.

Born on August 23, 1946, in Manhattan, New York, Barbara moved with her family to Miami, Florida, in 1952. She graduated from North Miami High School with the Class of 1965 and, as a young woman worked as a model. In 1961, she met the love of her life, Oscar “Ricky” Kanter, on a blind date—beginning a love story that would span more than six decades. Barbara dedicated herself to raising her family as a homemaker. But Barbara was never one to sit still for long. Over the years, she took on a wonderful variety of jobs and ventures, often helping to support the many hobbies and interests she enthusiastically pursued. She worked as a realtor, became an inventor with her creation Threadmaid, and eventually brought her strong work ethic to the United States Postal Service, where she worked until her well-earned retirement.

Barbara had a lifelong love of animals and spent many happy years breeding and showing Schipperkes. She was also an exceptionally talented craft artist. Whether she was knitting, quilting, or creating her beautiful soft cloth dolls. She leaves behind not simply handmade pieces, but treasured heirlooms—pieces of herself that her family will hold close for generations. Yet Barbara’s greatest gift was not something she made with her hands. It was the way she gave of herself.

Above everything else, family was the center of Barbara’s world. On July 9, 2026, Barbara and Oscar celebrated an extraordinary milestone—their 60th wedding anniversary. What began with a blind date in 1961 became a lifetime together, filled with love, family, challenges, adventures, laughter, and an enduring devotion to one another. Their sixty years of marriage stand as a beautiful testament to the life they built side by side.

Barbara took tremendous pride in the family that grew from that love. She cherished being a mother and adored being a grandmother and great-grandmother, but perhaps no title brought her more happiness than simply being called “Nana.”

She is survived by her devoted husband, Oscar “Ricky” Kanter; her loving children, Jennifer, Michael, and Teresa; daughter-in-law Joellen (Michael's spouse); her cherished grandchildren, Nikki, Heather, Joseph, Matthew, and Joshua; and her beloved great-grandchildren, Mailey, David IV, Gracie, and Luci.

Barbara was a loyal friend, a loving wife, a caring mother, and the kind of person who would quite literally give someone the shirt off her back if they needed it. She cared deeply, gave freely, and found joy in doing for others. Few words can fully capture the warmth, humor, determination, creativity, and enormous heart that made Barbara who she was. She leaves behind a life that cannot be measured simply in years, but in the people she loved, the lives she touched, the things she created, the laughter she shared, and the family she treasured above all else. Her handmade treasures will remain in their homes, her stories will continue to be told, and her generous spirit will live on through the generations that follow her.

She was deeply loved, and she loved abundantly. That will be Barbara’s enduring legacy.

Family and friends are invited to gather for a viewing on Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Sylvan Abbey Funeral Home 2853 Sunset Point Road in Clearwater.

Memorial Donations

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Barbara’s memory to St Judes Children's Research Hospital, a cause that reflects her lifelong spirit of giving and helping others.