Barbara Weiss
February 22, 1935 – December 31, 2024
St. Louis, MO

Barb Weiss exited stage left at the dawn of New Year's Eve. After a turbulent hospice during the Christmas holiday, her final expression was calm, on the verge of joyful, as if she saw something awe-inspiring. It was clear she found everlasting heavenly peace and was eager to join their NY Eve party.

Born Barbara Jean Hogue, she and her late mother (Hester Pauge), late sister (Norma Paradise) and late stepfather (Walter Pauge) were Soulard and North Side residents. From the start, Barb was an independent soul who spent her childhood and teens traveling by streetcar to see several films a week at her beloved movie palaces. Hollywood musicals (especially Betty Grable) were her passion.

Barb worked most of her adult life at and retired from PPG Industries, which is where she met and later married the late Richard Weiss. She is survived and eternally loved by their only child together, Patricia (Toby) Weiss.

Barb was a generous and caring Other Mother to countless people. She was known as The Soup Lady and/or The Cookie Lady to friends, family and her neighbors in Overland, MO, where she lived since 1984. Her lasagna, gooey butter cake and peanut butter cookies were legendary to all who had them. Her favorite personal highlight was, after decades of faithfully playing the exact same lotto numbers, winning a gigantic jackpot that paid off all her debts.

There was always a song on her lips. A wicked sense of humor and an ever-curious mindseeking "my nugget of knowledge for the day." She was a famously fashionable lady and color coordinated her clothes, jewelry and lipstick until the very end.

Barb was a genuinely sweet, benevolent and unique warrior of a woman. She was loved and will be missed by so many while her indefatigable spirit lives on forever. And she left with the definitive answer to the song," What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?"

From the late 1960s onward, people would continually mention how much Barb reminded them of Carol Burnett. So, it's bittersweetly appropriate to tug an earlobe and sing to her:
"I'm so glad we had this time together
Just to have a laugh and sing a song
Seems we just get started and before you know it
Comes the time we have to say so long."