Barbara Jean (Welsh) Leopold

Barbara Jean Leopold (Welsh) passed away peacefully on October 5th, 2023, at the age of 80. She is preceded in death by her husband Carl Leopold; parents Paul Welsh Sr., Louise and Lewis Massie; brothers Jeff, Paul Jr, and Ralph Welsh; and nephew Jason Welsh.

She is survived by son Joseph (Carrie) Leopold; daughter Laura (Robert) Whitaker; grandchildren Mina and Ben Leopold, Macy, Emily, and Claire Whitaker; sisters Connie Duffy (Tom), Grace Moore (Bill Richards), Jodi Welsh and numerous nieces and nephews.  

Barb met Carl in Columbus, Ohio while working at Battelle. After they were married, they lived in Thailand for a short time and explored Southeast Asia. Upon returning to the U.S., Barbara lived in Columbus, Ohio; Columbus, Indiana and, for the past 42 years, called Akron, Ohio home. While living in Akron, she raised her family and worked for Welty Building Corporation.  

Barb’s favorite pastime was spending time with her grandchildren. The past 25 years were filled with countless sleepovers, baking contests, shopping sprees and trips to the beach with her family. Mamaw enjoyed spoiling her favorite kids and was everyone’s favorite babysitter. Barb could always be found cheering at horse shows, track meets, baseball and softball games, plays and choir concerts. She could never tell them no, loved them unconditionally and was always willing to laugh and share their latest exploits with her friends.

At home, Barb was a famous country cook. Butter, a lot of love and a cast iron skillet made everything taste better. Her pancakes are legendary! She enjoyed the simple things in life such as hand-written letters to friends, painting, taking pictures and collecting treasures. She could often be found enjoying the sunshine on the patio with Carl, Mike and Kathy. 

The family would like to thank Dr. Kromalic and Shilpa Lad for all of their support and care during this journey. If anyone would care to make a donation to the American Cancer Society, Barb would approve.

A graveside service will be held Tuesday October 10, 2023, at 1:00 at Reber Hill Cemetery, Ashville, OH 43103.    

Arrangements and Care of Family by Oliver-Cheek Funeral Home, Ashville. Online condolences at olivercheekfuneralhome.com