Barbara Marie Hettema was born to parents, Joseph and Theresa Renard, on November 9, 1936. She was raised in northern NJ and lived most of her life in North Haledon in Passaic County. Barbara was married to Robert (Bob) Hettema for over 45 years until his death in 2005. After working as a secretary in her early twenties, she spent the next several decades of her life as a homemaker and loving mother to her two children, John (“Jack”) and Elizabeth (“Liz”). After her husband retired, they moved to Ocala, Florida to be near their daughter and her family.
Barbara was an animal lover, enjoyed the beach and being outdoors and spending time with her grandchildren. Barbara suffered a stroke in November 2017 and spent the next month in Munroe Regional Medical Center. She succumbed to heart failure on December 5, 2017 at the age of 81 years.
She is survived by her son, Jack, his wife, Carole, and their two sons, Everett and Kenneth; her daughter, Liz, her husband, Craig, and their son, Brandon; and her brother, Michael, his wife Lynn, and their daughters, Jessica and Jamie.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that you donate to your local SPCA chapter.
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