Barbara A. Steranko

"Let us be grateful for the people who make us happy. They are the charming gardeners that make our souls blossom.'



Weston - Barbara Steranko loved her family and any opportunity to host an occasion, special or simple at her home she so loved. Her home was a place to plant smiles, grow laughter and harvest love. She died unexpectedly at home on Wednesday, September 13, 2017. She was 88.

Barbara A. Watkins was born on October 1, 1929 in New York City a daughter of the late J. Arthur and Mabel (Smith) Watkins. She later lived New York City before moving to Michigan where she graduated from Lincoln High School in Detroit. She married Detroit native James J. Steranko on June 14, 1952 in Mount Calvary Lutheran Church. They moved to Weston in 1968 and Jim died unexpectedly on February 11, 1981.

As a young adult she worked at the former J.L. Hudson Department Store in Detroit and later worked as a switchboard operator at AT & T. Barbara then remained at home to raise her four children and support her husband's inventions and entrepreneurial endeavors and ran the front end of the office at her husband's privately owned business for 3 years located in the Waltham Watch Factory.

Barbara was a positive spiritual inspiration to her family and an active member of her much loved church. As a member of First Baptist Church in Weston she sang in its choir, taught in the Sunday school program and was a representative of the Ecumenical Council of the church. In earlier years she enjoyed playing tennis and bike riding and her later years she loved gardening and tending to the beauty of the flowers in her yard. She enjoyed running or walking in her neighborhood.

In addition to her husband, Jim she is predeceased by her daughter-in-law, Susan Steranko and her siblings, Donna Waid and Donald Watkins.

She leaves her children, James J. Steranko Jr. and his wife, Deborah of Nokomis, Florida, Stephanie A. Goldstein and her husband, Michael of Warrensburg, New York, Guy A. Steranko of Haverhill and Cheryl S. Preston and her husband, Christopher of Weston; her brother, Roger Watkins of Oxford County, Michigan; her grandchildren, Jessica, Clayton, Richard and Whitney Steranko, Jason and Lindsay Steranko, Joshua and Lauren Goldstein and her great-grandchildren, Madison, Christopher, June, Haley and Riley; also survived by nieces and nephews.

Family and friends will honor and remember Barbara's life by gathering on Saturday afternoon, September 23rd for calling hours from 2:00 – 3:30 pm in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rt. 20) before leaving in procession to The First Baptist Church of Weston, 657 Boston Post Road, Weston where her Funeral Service will be celebrated at 4:00 p.m. Burial will be in Mount Feake Cemetery on Monday, September 25th at 11:00 a.m.