Barbara Ann Rollins' Obituary
Barbara Rollins Obituary
Barbara Ann (nee Eckert) Rollins, 81, passed away peacefully Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at Kendal at Oberlin, where she had lived for about a year and was most recently seen to by the dedicated and caring staff. She was a longtime Oberlin resident and the beloved wife of the late Ronald A. Rollins Sr., MD, whose medical practice at the Oberlin Clinic as an obstetrician/gynecologist began in 1970. Her love, counsel and support of his career was in large part what made his difficult and time-consuming work possible. Barbara was a wonderful and wise mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother to her five children, their spouses and their kids, and her large heart saw to the care of many other young people over the years, as she and Ron opened their home to anyone who needed a place to go. They lived in a spacious and rare country home of her own design where the family has many happy memories. She and Ron were longtime, active members of First Church in Oberlin, where her volunteerism ranged from cooking weekly community suppers to designing the altar flowers each Sunday for many years. Her talent in floral design showed itself in her work at The Treehouse, a onetime downtown boutique business of which she was a co-owner. Always interested in art and artists, she was known in the community and around Ohio for her watercolor painting. Working from a light-filled home studio, Barbara painted for many years and was proud to be a Signature member and president of the Ohio Watercolor Society. She also volunteered at FAVA, the Firelands Association for the Visual Arts, where she served on the board, organized its annual art-auction fundraisers and often put her hand to planning and hanging exhibitions. Barbara and Ron were the Oberlin News-Tribune’s Oberlinians of the Year in 2012. The newspaper profile about them noted how they frequently hosted out-of-town visitors to Oberlin College alumni and graduation events, offering their home as a popular bed-and-breakfast spot. Barbara was well known for jumping in to volunteer as needed for any of her children’s activities, from school booster events to Scouting and more. Barbara was born January 10, 1939 in Westfield, N.J., daughter of Herbert and Margaret Eckert. She married Ron in December 1958, and was a loyal Air Force wife as the family moved between bases in San Antonio, Texas; Spokane, Washington, and Tampa, Florida, before moving to Oberlin and Ron’s job at the clinic there. She is survived by her sister-in-law Brenda Wagner and her brother, Herbert Eckert Jr.,; children Melanie (nee Schwinn) Hart (John), Ronald Allen Rollins Jr. (Amy), Amber Bock (Neil), Heather Laughman (Steve) and Brett Rollins (Robin Phillips); 11 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. A special thank you to Rick and Margie Flood, dear family friends and next-door neighbors, who spent a great deal of time and showed generous affection helping Barb and Ron in their waning years, especially befriending Barb after Ron died in 2014. Arrangements are in the care of Dicken Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Elyria. The family is planning a memorial service for later this year. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Barbara and Ron’s memory to First Church in Oberlin, 106 N. Main Street, Oberlin, Ohio 44074.
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