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James A "Jim" White
BARBARA TOLAR McFARLAND 11/1/1949 - 12/27/2018
Barbara McFarland, beloved wife of classmate BOYCE McFARLAND for 33 years, peacefully passed away this week at her home with her husband by her side. As you can tell from the photo above, taken on her way home after over two months of intensive, inpatient chemo and radiation treatments, she was a very upbeat lady. In 1985, she married an Air Force intelligence officer, called "Mac" by all that knew him in the service, and followed him all over the world (and they did live all over the world).
Barbara was an accomplished educator, mostly special needs children and adults, from Mississippi to California. Barbara was the person that opened the first Life Skills Learning Facility in Cleveland, Mississippi.
Barbara had a mind of her own, could tell a joke, had a personality that drew people to her, was generous to a fault and had a very strong Christian belief which helped sustain both of them. My wife and I spent only four days with Barbara and have loved her since, but no one has more love for Barbara than her husband, Boyce. While they were in Rutgers University Cancer Center, Boyce lost 26 pounds himself. All this time Barbara was sick, she lacked for nothing if it was humanly possible for Boyce to provide it. His discipline and caring nature extended their time together. Barbara was able to take a Thanksgiving trip and then come home for Christmas. As a personal witness to Boyce's caring, I can just say he makes the Class of '66 look like they were raised correctly. We should all emulate the care Boyce showed Barbara these past 15 months.
A memorial service for Barbara will be this Saturday, January 5th, at 11:00 a.m. at the Methodist Church in Carrizozo, NM. There will be a gravesite service for Barbara in Missippi, where most of her family and lifelong friends live, on January 12th.
Jim White (Class of '66 website co-administrator)
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