Barbara D. Giddley

Barbara Diane (Stanton) Giddley, age 88, of Raytown, Missouri, went home to be with her Lord on Nov. 17, 2022. She was preceded in death by her father, Norman L. Stanton, her mother, Mildred A. Looney Stanton, and her younger sister, Marilyn Kay Biscanin. She is survived by a son, Charles Giddley, of Independence; a daughter, Beverly Davis, of Belton; and two grandchildren, Trevor "Trey" Davis, and Isabella Davis, both of Belton.

Barbara was born Nov. 12, 1934, in Kansas City, Missouri. She became deaf at age 2 1/2 as a result of ear infections. She became an excellent lip reader and spoke remarkably well, but she also was proficient in American Sign Language.

She loved her parents and her son and daughter deeply. She will be sorely missed. She also loved Jesus and instilled in her children the knowledge that he loved them. Pilgrim Lutheran Church, on Gillham Road in Kansas City, was an important part of her life. She began attending services there as a child because they were interpreted for the deaf.

She attended Benton (Elementary) School in Kansas City, and then the Missouri School for the Deaf in Fulton, Missouri, where she graduated in 1952. She was voted MSD's homecoming queen in 1950. While a student there, she was also selected to take a solo educational train trip to Washington, D.C., an experience that helped inspire a deep, lifelong love for our country.

She attended Gallaudet College (now Gallaudet University) in Washington, D.C., where part of her experience was being able to dance with a partner in a stage show to the beat of music despite her deafness, because she could feel the percussion. She then attended the University of Arizona, where she studied education and worked with children with disabilities.

An artist, after returning to Kansas City she worked at a photography studio, touching up portraits.

Throughout her life, she was known for her sweet smile and her striking smiling eyes. Nothing made her smile like seeing her children.

She enjoyed walking, reading, writing letters, painting with watercolors, and watching old movies on TV. She also liked to travel with her family. One of her favorite destinations was Branson and Silver Dollar City, but the highlight of her travels was a trip to Hawaii in 1991. She also enjoyed boating and swimming at her parents' lake house at Lake Lotawana, Missouri.

Barbara was a resident of Edgewood Manor Nursing Home in Raytown for 22 years, where she was a staff favorite because of her smile, hugs, winks, and "OK" hand signs. She had a weakness for sweets, but she was always quick to share any candy or other snacks her family brought her with those around her.

Despite enduring many profound personal hardships in her life, she kept her faith in the Lord, maintained her infectious smile, and continued to express heartfelt gratitude for the blessings she enjoyed and the kindnesses shown to her by all those with whom she came in contact.

A visitation for Barbara will be held Tuesday, Nov. 22, from 5-7 p.m. at the McGilley & Sheil Funeral Home, 11924 E. 47th St., Kansas City, MO 64133. Services for her will be at the same funeral home on Wednesday, Nov. 23 from 10-11 a.m. A graveside service will be held at 11:30 a.m. at Floral Hills Cemetery, 7000 Blue Ridge Blvd., Kansas City, MO, 64133.