Barbara Bagley Moule

Barbara Bagley Moule 

August 8, 1928 – September 17, 2025

A loving and beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, Barbara and her husband Bill (who passed in 2006) had four children: Janice, Robert (who preceded her in passing in 1993), Linda and partner Amber and her son Kenneth, and Nancy and her husband Craig Moles and their children Julia and Kevin. Barbara is also survived by many extended family members around the country.

Barbara Ann Bagley Moule was born on August 8, 1928 in the borough of Manhattan in, New York City. She was adopted at age 4 as the only child of Thomas and Madelaine Bagley and grew up in the historic town of Haddonfield NJ, near Philadelphia, living in several beautiful Victorian homes over the decades. Her father passed away in January 1944 and her mother in June 1956.

Barbara attended Moorestown Friends School through the 12th grade and graduated in 1946. Barbara was a decades-long member of the First Presbyterian Church of Haddonfield and sang alto in the church’s many choirs from childhood into her adult years. She also loved going to church camp every summer at Camp Matollionequay in the Medford Lakes area of the New Jersey Pine Barrens.

Barbara’s family owned a seaside cottage in Margate, NJ, near Atlantic City and she had many fond memories of the summers she spent there at the shore, swimming in the ocean, walking along the boardwalk, watching the horse dive into the ocean off the Steel Pier, and visiting Lucy the Elephant. She had a sweet tooth for Atlantic City’s famous Fralinger’s Salt Water Taffy, and loved the local fresh seafood, her favorite kind of food.

Barbara attended Hood College in Frederick MD beginning in the fall of 1946 and established deep and lifelong friendships with a group of her classmates. While in college, as in high school, Barbara avidly participated in a variety of sports including field hockey, tennis, basketball, and softball. She graduated in the spring of 1950 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mathematics.

After her father passed away in 1944, Barbara and her mother traveled often every summer, the highlight being a cross-Canada train journey on the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1948, staying in many famous hotels along the route, including the Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta, and the Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC.

After college she worked in Philadelphia and was involved with the young adult group at the church where she met her future husband, William N. Moule, who was an Electrical Engineer working at RCA Corporation in Moorestown, NJ. Barbara and Bill were married on June 27, 1953, and established residence in an apartment and later a house in Haddonfield. Barbara had four children: Janice, Robert, Linda, and Nancy. They all attended Van Sciver Elementary School, where Barbara was active in the PTA, and every child was a member of the church’s youth choirs from the age of 4 onward. She spent many Saturdays shuttling the kids to their choir rehearsals and afterwards to Woolworth for hoagies and Cokes.

Barbara and Bill became close friends with a large group of couples from the Church, and would socialize with them and their families: weekly bridge club, frequent barbecues, and trips to their houses for summers and holidays as families moved farther out of town.

In 1967 Barbara’s husband accepted a job at Emerson Electric in St. Louis and the family moved to the town of Chesterfield, MO, where she lived for three years. While there, she attended Bonhomme Presbyterian Church, continued her passion for bowling, and even played in an adult volleyball league with her husband.

In 1970 Bill moved the family to California where he accepted a position with a company in Calabasas. CA, and Barbara and her family lived in the community of Hidden Hills for 53 years. She was a member of the Malibu Presbyterian Church, and joined several bowling leagues in which she participated well into her 80s.

Barbara and her family became world travelers taking may long driving vacations in the family station wagon, and later around the globe via air, rail and sea. Among her destinations were Bermuda, the Caribbean, Cuba, Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska, Asia, Northern and Southern Europe, the British Isles, South America, Australia, and New Zealand. She and her family also drove extensively through all 50 states, most Canadian provinces, and most of the National Parks. Barbara and Bill attended the 50th anniversary of D-Day events in England and France as he was a veteran of that campaign. Some of Barbara’s best trips were driving with the family to Bill’s parents’ farm in Lapeer MI, visiting with the extended family of in-laws, cousins, nieces, and nephews. Bill was a photographer without equal, taking thousands of slides and photographs over his lifetime, providing the family with memories to treasure for generations.

Barbara was a passionate spectator of all kinds of sports, especially the Los Angeles Dodgers and college football, and would root for her husband’s alma mater, Michigan State, and some of her children’s and grandchildren’s college teams. She and her husband were involved in activities with the Michigan State Alumni Club of Southern California and the Big Ten Alumni Club of Southern California for many years. Barbara would talk sports with her daughter Linda who inherited Barbara’s sports genes.

Barbara was blessed with grandchildren Julia and Kevin Moles by her daughter Nancy and her husband Craig. Both have graduated university and entered careers in Medicine and Engineering.

Barbara was a passionate animal lover. Growing up, her family owned several Chow Chows, and upon moving to California the family adopted many cats to whom Barbara was especially partial. She loved watching the birds and squirrels come to the feeders, the horses that walked the trails, and the sea lions and pelicans at Channel Islands Harbor. She particularly loved watching the ducks inhabiting the lake across the street from where she lived. Her daughter Linda also had many cats, and she and her partner Amber added many dogs to the family. Barbara also watched practically every animal and veterinarian show on television, and especially liked Dr. Pol.

Barbara’s lifelong love of music enriched her life, beginning with piano lessons as a child. One of her favorite pieces to sing in choir was Handel’s Messiah, and she had a fondness for sacred choral music, opereretta, film scores, as well as the Bee Gees, the Beatles, and the Mamas and the Papas in later years. Barbara also attended many performances by the San Fernando Valley Male Chorus, and West Coast Classical Symphony Orchestra of Palmdale, CA in which her daughter Nancy, son-in-law Craig, and grandchildren Julia and Kevin were members.

Barbara’s life was not without sadness; her son Robert passed away in 1993 after a lengthy illness, and her husband Bill passed away unexpectedly in 2006 not long after retiring from Lockheed Corporation as an Electrical Engineer. She found solace in the company of her family, her church and social friends, and the activities she continued to participate in.

Barbara moved to a senior living residence in Thousand Oaks two years ago and had her own apartment, living very close to her eldest daughter Janice who helped her get to doctor visits, her weekly hair appointment, and shopping. They would go on all-day driving adventures, discovering wonderful new places and restaurants. Janice occasionally indulged Barbara’s sweet tooth with an ice cream sundae from Mister Softee, or scoops from the local creamery.

Barbara was a vibrant and vital 97 years of age when, after a very brief illness, she left this earth, with family at her side, for a higher realm in the presence of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She truly lead a blessed and interesting life, and we will miss her until the time comes when we will all be reunited once more.

Love you always Mom.