Barbara Moller

We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved spouse and loving mother, Barbara (Aba) Barkey Moller, has passed away, peacefully, surrounded by her loving family on Saturday, October 14th, 2023 at the age of 72.  She was born in Arlington VA on March 16th, 1951 and is survived by her loving husband of 45 years, John T. Moller of Palm Springs, CA; son J.Zachary Moller (Bridgit) of Thousand Oaks, CA; and son T. Maxwell Moller of Hollywood, CA. She is predeceased by her parents, Howard E. Barkey, Helen I. Carlson, and stepmother Kazuko Suwaji.  She is also survived by her sisters: Susan Dodd of Lewes, DE; Linda Kosovych of Arlington, VA; and Deby Wine (Michael) of Manassas VA; brother-in-law Wes Moller (Robin) of Amsterdam, NY; and sister-in-law Claudia Moller Gilfoil (Jim) Media, PA. Aba also leaves behind to mourn her many nieces, nephews, great nieces & nephews, and many many more adoring friends.

Barbara was born in Arlington, VA and grew up in McLean, VA.  She attended Lankaneau School for Girls and Langley High School. When she finished her schooling, her adventurous spirit brought her to Boston, MA where she met & married her loving husband, John.  It was in Medfield, MA that she started her family, and was devoted to creating a joyful childhood for Zach and Max.

They later relocated to Saratoga Springs, NY, where her boys got to spend their high school years in the same area where their father grew up.  Barbara loved to have parties and every 4th of July there was a backyard celebration that spilled out onto the 14th Fairway of McGregor CC, sometimes with a rocking blues band and plenty of dancing… She was everyones favorite neighbor and loved her book clubs ladies.  Barbara and John had a wonderful time in Saratoga and have many great memories of their life there.

Upon Johns retirement, they moved to Palm Springs, CA to be near their boys who had moved to LA for career opportunities.  Barbara would describe to her new CA friends that Saratoga Springs was the most fun place to reside in NY State.  

Barbara was a free spirit!  Wherever she went, whoever she met, Aba was always loved by everyone in her community and they all wanted to spend time with her.  A true testament of that are the precious comments on her & Johns Facebook posts about her untimely passing.  She was undoubtedly the life of every party, gathering, and event she attended and she was a consummate hostess and friend to those who met her.

In Palm Springs, she continued her love of entertaining including celebrations for Johns 70, 75th, and her 70th, along with a gala “Mardi Gras” party with costumes, beads, cajun & zydeco music and food, & John giving “free” Cajun Two-Step dance lessons (his Louisiana roots).  You could often see her and John riding around in their golf cart with a “retirement water” in hand enjoying the life they created for each other.

Barbara was a golfer at McGregor CC in Saratoga - a “once only, never again” President of her 9 hole women’s golf league; a skier (Sugarbush & Killington VT) which she & the entire family loved (pre requisites of John); a very talented artist (oils & water colors); a lover of the outdoors, hiked an impressive portion of the Appalachian Trail; loved traveling and camping, an avid reader - member of a Saratoga book club that she adored; and started a book club in her Palm Springs residence - “Desert Princess Country Club”.

But above all, the love of her life was her family.  She was a devoted mother, wife, sister, and aunt and our lives will never be the same without her.

There will be a private ceremony for her family with a Celebration of Life at a later date.  

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Heart Association.