Oct. 31, 1932 – May 21, 2014

Barbara Joan Fogarty was born Oct. 31, 1932 in Weehawken, New Jersey. She left this earth on May 21 to join her family in heaven.

She is survived by her brother James Edward Donahoe, daughter Diane Marie Fogarty, son Kenneth Robert Fogarty and two grandchildren, Molly Erin Farragher and Colleen Faith Farragher. Her first two children, who predeceased her, were Claire Patricia Fogarty, born Oct. 28, 1956, and Paul Kevin Fogarty, born April 11, 1959.

Barbara was the daughter of the late James Edward Donahoe and Florence Elsie Donahoe (Smith). Her father joined the U.S. Navy and fought World War I before becoming a New York City police officer and later a distinguished civil engineer. Her mother was part of a troupe in the popular Ziegfeld Follies before becoming a loving mother and homemaker.

Barbara grew up in Bronx, New York when her family moved to a home on St. Andrews Avenue. She attended grade school at St. Nicholas of Tolentine before graduating from Aquinas High School in Bronx, New York in 1952. She was courted by a dashing fellow named John Patrick Fogarty. They married on Oct. 30, 1954 at St. Francis of Rome Church in New York. “Babs” and Jack eventually relocated to California, where they lived in Costa Mesa before buying and settling into their first home in the foothills of La Crescenta.

In addition to being a loving wife and mother, Barbara worked as a reporter for the Montrose Ledger and submitted articles focused on the current social and fashion scenes of the late 1960s and 1970s. Later she went on to work as a teacher’s assistant in the Glendale Unified School District and focused on working with children who had learning disabilities. She had a lust for life and an affinity for baseball. When she wasn’t being a doting grandmother, you could find Barbara rooting on her beloved Dodgers and taking in games with her brother Jim.

Although her passing was sudden and unexpected, there is comfort knowing that she was surrounded by her family and friends. The measure of a person can be found partly in how they treat others. Barbara was never absent of a warm smile and a kind word. She lit up a room and her love was unconditional. She will surely be missed by many.

“Our mothers give us so many gifts. They give us the precious gift of life, of course, but they also leave treasured lessons that can guide us along our journeys even when they are no longer with us.” ~ Maria Shriver