Barbara A. Calkins Nagucki

Barbara A. Calkins Nagucki, age 77, went to be with the Lord on December 26, 2014 from complications of advanced dementia at the Lakes of Monclova, Maumee, OH. She was born to Leroy Francis and Florence Marie (Early) Calkins on November 1, 1937 in Toledo, OH. She attended St Theresa’s elementary school and graduated in 1951. She attended the Ursuline convent as a prep for her initial high school experience, upon graduation from grade school in 1951 for one semester. Then Barbara attended Whitney Vocational high school, and graduated in 1955. She enjoyed cooking, art, home making, and sewing classes. Barbara married Ronald Nagucki on Nov. 5, 1955. Barbara had twins, Ronald and Susan in 1957, and then a daughter, Sharon in 1959. Barbara became involved in the Mothers of Twins club in a variety of leadership roles until 2013. After her children were grown, Barbara returned to school and graduated in 1984 with an associate’s degree in Business Management Technology at the former Scott Park Campus Community Technical College of the University of Toledo. Barbara also graduated with an Associate’s degree in Nursing from Owens Community college in 1988. After graduation from 1988 until 2009, she worked as an RN at Toledo Hospital, for a family practice physician’s office, various nursing homes in the Toledo area, served as the office manager at Creative Interior Services, her son, Ron’s company, and worked at another company for a brief period of time doing medical examinations. Barbara was adventurous and loved outdoor and indoor activities. She won a Bowling League trophy for the 1980-81 season for the highest game of 246. She loved to travel, and enjoyed much of it with her family, the Twins club, and friends. She especially loved visiting Vienna, but also enjoyed Florida and Hawaii, and her summer cottages at Lake Seneca in Ohio. On a trip she made in 2008 with her daughter and daughter-in-law to Pennsylvania, Susan remembers her standing next to one of the monuments, and exclaiming about how wonderful it was to be standing on such sacred ground. Barbara appreciated so many things in life that others oftentimes took for granted. She loved history and loved God, her family, her church, her friends, and her country. She also was proud of her own Polish/German/French/Irish heritage and the Polish heritage of her husband. She was a wonderful cook and excelled in making not only American dishes, but Polish and Italian dishes as well. She was giving and encouraging to others as well. Her goal always seemed to be to make others feel very good about themselves and their own accomplishments. She will be remembered by her family, friends, and Twins Club members as loving life, enjoying music and acting out dramas and skits to the fullest. She was energetic, sociable, and fun loving woman! Barbara was involved in both State and local leadership of the Mothers of Twins club. She was OFMOTC President 1994-1996, and the only TMOTC President that has ever served 3 times in the club’s history. She was TMOTC's Mother Of The Year 1994. She was also active on the National level of the Mothers of Twins club. She joined TMOTC in 1971. Prior to this she belonged to Maumee Valley Mothers of Twins club. Barbara and another TMOTC member, Marcia Bohnsack revised the "No Two Alike” book which was a book dedicated to the survival and support of mothers of multiples filled with facts, advice, and helpful hints. The book was distributed to OFMOTC members throughout all of Ohio and also is found in some libraries. An STNA who cared for Barbara in her home stated that the book was also being used as part of requisite in an elective course being taken for one of the nursing programs at the University of Toledo. Both Barb and Marcia were nurses with the experience necessary to write such a helpful book for new mothers of twins. A friend stated, “Barb always encouraged members and made new members feel very welcome. When you talked to Barb she made you feel like she cared so much about you. She always was positive and very sincere with a great sense of humor. She was such an intelligent person and it is so sad the Alzheimer’s stole that from her. She is truly loved by many TMOTC members.” Barb Nagucki was a highly honored Member who has helped in so many areas of the Club’s growth and development over the years such newspaper publication, governance, event and banquets productions, conventions involvement, mentoring, and counseling programs. Barbara lived in the Toledo area most of her life, which included Perrysburg from 2010-2013 and Maumee 2013 until she passed away. She lived briefly in northern Michigan as well in the 1990’s where she enjoyed many outdoor activities like canoeing, fishing, and hiking. She was an excellent seamstress and taught sewing classes for a period of time at the Singer Sewing Center in Toledo. Not only was she a great mom, teacher, and friend, but also a wonderful grandmother. She was the kind of grandma who was always available to babysit at a moment’s notice, and yet who invited her grandkids over for art projects, Christmas cookie baking, and sewing projects to hand out as gifts for others. She started her own greeting card business and included each of her grandkids as partners in it. She created detailed photo calendars yearly for several family members as gifts, on her computer which she worked hard to master and she used regularly. She wrote skits for her grandkids to star in and perform and researched hundreds of hours for her genealogy book that was completed in 1988 on our family roots that dates back to the 1600s, and which is presently located in at least two libraries in the US. In the 1990’s she wrote a fictionalized version of her own autobiography, called Sea of Singles, which has not yet been published. From involvement at St. Patrick’s of Heatherdowns school and church over the years, to Girls Scouts and Cub Scouts…Barbara’s fingerprints were on several support groups and community outreach organizations in the Toledo area. A friend stated that: “As for me, she was a great support when I was going through a stressful divorce. She took me to her Divorce/Separated Catholics group and helped me through this tough time.” From 2008-2013 Barbara later became a regular attendee with her daughter, at Calvary Assembly of God church where she developed many valuable friendships and attended several ladies’ events. Barbara is survived by her loving children, twins, Ronald M. (Marcia) Nagucki and Susan M. (Gary) Bucher and daughter, Sharon L. (Eric) Schaller; 10 grandchildren, Jaime (Ryan) Voegeli, Ronald Nagucki, Jr., Amy (Christopher) Abele, Michael Nagucki, Sarah Bucher, Aaron (Kaela) Nagucki, Brad (Dani) Bucher, Brett (Sarah) Bucher, Jessica Schaller and Erik (Veronica) Nagucki; 8 great- grandchildren, Lauren, Leanna and James Voegeli, Ashton, Aven and Noah Nagucki, Weston and Lanie Bucher; sister, Karen Lee Trombley and friend/ former husband, Ronald R. Nagucki. She was preceded in death by her parents, Leroy Francis and Florence Marie (Early) Calkins and brother, Michael Arthur Calkins. Memorials may take the form of contributions to Calvary Assembly of God Church, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Gentiva Hospice or to the charity of the donor’s choice. Thank you to all of the family members, friends, Gentiva Hospice, the Legacy team at the Lakes of Monclova and their health care workers, who have loved and cared for Barbara over the last several years, and all who have taken time out of their daily lives to spend time with her during this long journey. We celebrate Barbara’s life as well as her home going and know that she is whole now, as she now lives in her new home with her Heavenly Father, and other family and friends who have gone before her. Barbara will be sorely missed by all who loved her. Yet, we can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that those of us who know and love Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, will be with her again in eternity someday. “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him (Jesus Christ) who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39, NIV).

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Barbara A. Calkins Nagucki

November 1, 1937 - December 26, 2014