Funeral Live Stream Click Here: Barbara Labbett Service

It is with great sadness but peace in our hearts that we announce the gentle passing of our beautiful wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother Barbara Louise Labbett in her 87th year at Oakville-Trafalgar Hospital on August 24, 2023.

Gone ahead and waiting to embrace her are her beloved parents Herbert John Parsons and Phyllis Edna Parsons; whom both emigrated from England in their youth; her brother John Parsons and her dear lifelong friend Roberta Paterson. Deeply missing the love of his life is her
loving and devoted husband of 68 years Bob Labbett.

Barbara left a legacy of love in her son Craig Labbett (Cheryl), daughters Sharon Labbett and Sandra Laurence (Bob), cherished grandchildren Kristie Labbett Hanley (Craig), Kimmi Labbett (Matt), Jackie Noble LeGresley (Dan), Scott Noble, Adam Laurence, Jaimie Laurence Goodman (Matt) and in her great-grandchildren Austin and Clark Hanley, Avery and Blake LeGresley and Dallas and Sierra Goodman. Also left deeply missing Barbara is her cherished and loved friend Ed Mavrinac and her beloved sister and best friend Dorothy Ottaway.

Barbara was born and grew up in the Beach of Toronto where her family was very involved with Kew Beach United Church. She would often tell beautiful stories of a wonderful, carefree childhood in the closely knit Beach community on the shores of Lake Ontario. This is where she met and fell madly in love with the tall and handsome Bob Labbett. They would eventually leave the Beach to start their adventure as husband and wife but they both kept the Beach and its treasured memories very close to their hearts. At Malvern High School Barbara was Queen of the Court and
thoroughly enjoyed being a member of the cheerleading squad. After the squad won a cheer championship each member was offered a free modelling course and photo session. Barbara took advantage of this opportunity thus opening the door to a long and successful modelling career
which included runway, TV, catalogues and teaching. In 1968 Barb and Bob packed up their kids and belongings, left the Toronto area and started on an adventure that would be pivotal in the lives of the entire family. They moved to Waterloo and bought a golf course just north of Cambridge called Ranchlands. They changed the name to Beaverdale Golf and Country Club and over the next 20 years Barb worked side by side with Bob to create a golf facility that was not only one of the best in the area for its physical condition but very popular and well known as a fun and friendly club where members and non-members loved to be and were treated like family. Barbara ran the kitchen, planned and
hosted countless functions and banquets and participated in the numerous fun and often hilarious members' events.

While living in Waterloo Barbara became very involved in the community through golf, curling, modelling, and charitable and volunteer work with Maycourt, the local hospital, playing piano at nursing homes, and as Chairman of the KW Philharmonic Choir. Missing the water, Barb and Bob moved to Oakville to once again live near the lake that had captured their hearts in their youth. And once again Barb embraced her new community with volunteer and charitable work, playing the grand piano in the front hall of the new Oakville-Trafalger Memorial Hospital and making many new friends.

Barbara was an incredibly creative lady. She could sew, knit and crochet, often without a pattern. She painted briefly and her paintings adorn walls of their home and the family cottage. She could make a masterpiece out of anything be it left over meals or left over scraps from some other project. She loved to scrounge around in junk stores and antique shops bartering for a deal and filling the cottage with unique and interesting pieces. Barb's gardens were always breathtaking! Her tomatoes and zucchinis were something to behold as was her delicious chilli sauce, chutney and zucchini bread made from her garden produce. The flower gardens at their home and at the cottage were stunning, prominent works of art that many walkers and passersby could not help but stop and admire. But her truest gift and lifelong passion was music. Music was in her soul and she shared her musical talent with everyone. She was a graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Music in piano and theory and holds credits in music from Wilfred Laurier University. She taught piano in her homes both in Waterloo and Oakville. When they moved to Oakville she decided to find a piano teacher to take her own knowledge and talents to an even higher level. This is when she met Ed Mavrinac who would become not only her piano teacher but her most cherished friend for the next 30 years. Barb and Ed would play duets together at many functions over the years making every event a joyous, musical occasion. Together they brought out the very best of her talents. Up until her passing they enjoyed playing very difficult duet pieces by Dvorak. In the past couple of years Barb slowly lost the ability to read music however Ed discovered that the music was so much a part of her that she could play dozens of pieces by heart. Three times a week Barb and Ed would have a one hour lesson and then Ed would play the piano while Barb and Bob danced around the condo.

Family was the most important thing to Barb. She adored her children and their spouses, her grandchildren and their spouses and her sweet baby great-grandchildren. She was very generous and thoughtful to her family and showered us with gifts, her time and her love and affection.
There is a big hole in the family left by our matriarch's passing. She will be deeply missed by all of us but she lives on in our hearts, in the faces of her children, the creativity of her grandchildren, and the eye colour of her greatgrandchildren.

Barb's family is profoundly grateful to the wonderful doctors and amazing nurses of Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, 7th floor South, for their compassion, kindness and sensitivity shown to our mother and to us during this difficult journey.

A musical celebration of a beautiful life will be held on Saturday, September 9, 2023 at Maple Grove United Church, 346 Maple Grove Drive, Oakville, ON. Visitation with the family at 1:00 pm, musical celebration at 2:00 pm. Refreshments to follow. Memorial contributions may be made to Barbara's favourite charity Covenant House Toronto.