Barbara S. Walker

Barbara (Smith) Walker, 88, passed away peacefully on August 21, 2026. Preceded in death by husband Bob. Mother of Cheryl (Frank) and Rob (Tracy), Grandmother of Drew (Hazel) and Becky. Treat distributor to decades of pets. She will be remembered for her mischief and her bright red nails.

Join us for BINGO at her favorite spot, Hoggsbreath, 2504 Rice St., on September 22nd at 6:00 pm.

A Visitation will be held on September 25th from 4:00-7:00 PM at Wulff Funeral Home, 1485 White Bear Ave. A Service Celebrating Barb’s Life will be held on September 26th at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 700 Snelling Ave. S., at 11:00 AM (LIVESTREAM https://www.gloriadeistpaul.org - Barbara Walker Funeral with lunch to follow. Barb requested everyone wear a splash of red.

Barbara (Smith) Walker was born on June 25, 1938, and was raised on 658 Liberty Ave. in Carnegie, Pennsylvania. She remembered her childhood fondly with memories of visiting Grandma Lowar’s house, going to the Civic Light Opera in the summers, and playing school with the neighborhood kids.

In college, she had to get through biology somehow and befriended her professor’s son, Robert Walker. Shortly after Barb graduated college, she and Bob got married. They were blessed with their two children, Cheryl and Rob. After Bob got his Masters from Kent State, they moved to Ohio for Bob’s work. A few years later, they moved to Michigan where they lived for a few more years before moving and settling in Minnesota.

Barb took a teaching job in North St. Paul, where she worked until she retired. She enjoyed (and survived) her years of teaching with the support (and mischief) of her many friends. In 1983, Bob passed away from cancer. From then, Barb learned the hard way what it meant to rely on friends and family for support.

After a long period of difficult grief, she found her way into new communities, while creating some of her own. She began a Widow Widowers group, she started golfing because she “needed something to hit” after Bob died, she was part of the Red Hat Society for a period of time, volunteered at church and the hospital, and most notably, cherished the times she spent with friends and family. She attended every sports game and band concert of her grandkids (except when it rained). She was always sure to come to every meal with her famous ham and mustard sauce, pumpkin rolls, or fruitcake.

And course - there had to be red wine. (It’s good for the heart, you know.) She’s always been a little bit of a trouble maker - she and her friends made the rounds at various casinos, they played bingo at the local dive bar, got kicked out of Denny’s, and went on copious other adventures that we’re sure she hasn’t told the family about. She always made sure her nails and hair were done, and she always had on some kind of themed clip-on earrings. In short - she made sure her life was lived.

In her final days, she reflected on how during her life she always tried to stay calm during life’s storms and tried to remember they would always work out. She notably said she tried to “not let things tangle her underwear.” She sure did have great sayings.

A special word of thanks to Barb’s good friends Heather and Aleese, the entire staff at Amira Choice at Lexington, and St. Croix Hospice. Your care had a great impact on Barb and her family. We will miss Barb’s wit, her fruitcake, and her joy. To honor her memory, she asked that we don’t let things tangle our underwear, get in a little trouble every now and then, and keep telling the stories about when she did too