Barbara Ann Gleason's Obituary
Barbara Gleason (Schanley) passed away on April 19th, 2022, in Tucson, Arizona. Member of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Tucson, Arizona.
Barbara was born on April 11, 1939 at home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Walter E. Schanley and Carol G. Schanley (Rieckhoff). She is predeceased by her mother and father and her 2 older sisters, Lillian Rose DeBauche and Jeanette Rose Inzeo. She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Howard K. Gleason and her four children: Michael (Stacey Pretzel); Mary Gleason and her 2 children, Nicolas and Samantha; Jeffrey and his two children, Cody and Angel; and Matthew and his two children, Kendra and Alec; plus 3 great-grandchildren in Wisconsin. She is also survived by various, nieces and nephews, children of her sisters.
Barbara attended Muskego and Vieau grade school plus attended 6th - 8th grade at Holy Trinity Catholic School (now named Our Lady of Guadalupe) on 4th and Bruce St. graduating in 1953 from the 8th grade. She attended 1 year at Bay View High School and then 3 years with graduation from West Allis Central High School in 1957. She worked for a year at Milwaukee Electric Company. She then joined Howard in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1958 where she was employed at Central Power and Light Electric Co. in the Systems Dept.
She and Howard were high school sweethearts and married in 1960 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Michael, Mary and Jeffrey were born in Texas and Matthew in Wisconsin. After returning to Wisconsin in 1965 from Texas they lived in Milwaukee and Waukesha for about 8 years. They then moved to Wausau, Wisconsin for 13 years where their children were mostly raised and Howard was a sales/General manager at Juneau Supply. Barbara went back to work after all the children were in school at Wausau Insurance Co. in the Data Entry Dept. In 1985 they moved to Tucson, Arizona with their youngest son, Matt who was 15 at that time. The rest of the children also eventually moved there. Howard was district sales manager for Wistech Controls until his retirement. Barbara worked for the University of Arizona until her final retirement in 2007. She was an administrative assistant in the Dept. of Anesthesiology for about 10 years and then was an executive assistant and entertainment contract coordinator with UApresents until she retired after working part-time for UApresents for another period of time, until she completely retired at the age of 72.
Barbara especially loved her husband and children and her last 3 dogs, Mugzy, a Llasa Apso; Hannah, a mini-dachshund, who died in 2013, and then Abby, a rescue Chi-Weenie. She enjoyed reading, sometimes 2 or 3 novels a week, and painted and decorated multiple birdhouses in different themes, giving many away or hanging them as decorations on a dead citrus tree in the backyard until it fell over one day. To her, although she enjoyed working, her main job was to be the best wife and mother possible, even if it meant putting in a very long day most times as her family always came first in her life.
Her one big goal in her life was to raise her children to be self-sufficient, hardworking and for them to be a good example for their children and their families. She has been successful in that goal.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Sahuaro Dachshund Rescue Organization or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
Cremation services have been arranged for Barbara and Howard. No services will be provided as per their wishes
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