Barbara Exley

Barbara (Barb) Jean Exley, 87, of New Philadelphia, passed away peacefully on May 20 in Ohio’s Hospice Truman House.

Barb was born in Midvale, Ohio on July 5, 1937, the daughter of the late Seward W. and Florence M. (Beahm) Kalt. She was a 1955 graduate of New Philadelphia High School. Barb was honored to be named Quaker Girl and a Lions Club Rose Queen attendant.

Barb married her high school sweetheart, James (Jim) Exley on Christmas Day, 1955, while he was on leave from the Navy. This December, they would have celebrated their 70 th wedding anniversary.

Upon graduating, Barb followed a secretarial/bookkeeping path and worked at Marsh Wall Products/Marlite Corporation. Her other places of employment included working at Liberty Furniture and being a typesetter at Quickprint. It was there that she gained her “on the job” training in graphic design.

The class of 1955 was very connected, and Barb helped organize reunions and mini- reunions and attended their monthly luncheons for several decades. She loved being a “50’s kid” and listening to Elvis.

Barb remained connected with the Quaker community while raising her three children and their children and grandchildren. She lent her sewing abilities to various projects for the New Philadelphia High School Marching Quaker Band boosters and acted as president for one term. That group of parents started the first annual New Philadelphia High School band competition.

Barb was one of the founders of the Quaker Foundation. Along with Bud Winn, she spent countless hours collecting and doing data entry for decades of alumni classes, long before the ease of Google searches on the internet. She knew so many people that those connections definitely helped in this task. She was the creative force behind the birth of the Quaker Pride magazine.

While Jim was participating and holding offices over a 20 year span with the New Philadelphia Elks Lodge 510, Barb was involved with the Lady Elks. Barb was an active member of the New Philadelphia First United Church of Christ, serving as church secretary for some period. Barb also directed her organizational talents toward helping others. She started the first Christmas Cookie Walk, the proceeds of which supported mission projects.

Barb had an artistic eye and a gift for visualizing and coordinating fabrics and colors. This talent is best seen through the many quilts, vests, appliqued sweatshirts and purses she created. She was a member of several quilting groups. With other First United Church of Christ members she formed the “When Life Hands You Scraps” quilt group, which made and sent hundreds of children’s quilts to an orphanage in the Ukraine. She was one of the founders of the Tuscarawas Valley Quilt Guild, which continues to thrive and hold workshops, meetings and an annual quilt show.

Barb and Jim were avid walkers; many people had “sightings” of them walking through various sections of town. Barb was an avid flower gardener and knew numerous perennials by name. Researching family genealogy was another of her passions. She was a member of the Midvale Club.

In later years, Barb enjoyed following her grandchildren and great grandchildren in their sporting, music, and school related activities and celebrating their academic accomplishments.

Barb’s family includes her husband, Jim; children, Sharon (Kelly) Ricklic and Michael (Dr. Anita) Exley, both of New Philadelphia, and David Exley of Dover and former daughter-in-law, Michele Exley; grandchildren, Gretchen (Frank) Polen and Amanda Ricklic, both of New Philadelphia, Ryan (Megan) Ricklic of Stamford, CT, and Adam Exley of Colorado Springs, CO; and seven great-grandchildren, Bret Ricklic (Madelyn Bates), Layne Perks (Jayna Fuller), Kendall Polen, Caleb Crowthers, Reese Polen, Anna Ricklic, and William Ricklic. She is also survived by her faithful Bernese Mountain Dog companion, Flossie.

In addition to her parents, Barb was preceded in death by her infant sister, Susan Kalt and her brother, Loren “Butch” Kalt.

The family extends their deep gratitude and appreciation to the staff at Park Village, Dover, and the Truman House for their love and support as Barb coped with the challenging stages of dementia during the past 18 months.

Visitation will be held in the Linn-Hert- Geib Funeral Home & Crematory at New Philadelphia on Friday, May 23 from 4-7pm. The Rev. Jill Lovett will officiate Barb’s service in the funeral home chapel on Saturday, May 24, beginning at 10:30am. Burial will follow in East Avenue Cemetery in New Philadelphia.

Contributions in the memory of Barb’s spirit may be made to the charity or organization of the donor’s choice.