Barbara L. Loecher, age 57, passed away on January 14, 2020, following a courageous battle with early onset Alzheimer’s Disease.

Born in New York City, Barbara spent her early childhood in the international Queens community of Parkway Village, established for United Nations families from around the globe. Barbara delighted in her international friends (and in sampling from their school lunch boxes). She often reflected on the influence this early exposure to multiculturalism had on her; she was open-minded, full of hope and intellectual curiosity, and had a deep desire to discover and explore.

When the family relocated to Newtown, Conn., Barbara made new friends easily and excelled in school, graduating second in her class at Newtown High School as Salutatorian. She was a member of the NHS band, playing flute with skill and passion.

She attended Smith College in Northampton, Mass., as a religion major, the beginnings of a lifelong spiritual quest. Ultimately, she graduated from the University of Michigan where she frequently wrote for the university newspaper, the beginnings of her long and successful career as a journalist, editor, and author.

Barbara worked as a staff writer and editor for many publications including Prevention magazine, the Danbury News-Times, and Reuters news service. She freelanced regularly for The New York Times. Her great interest in health and health care led her to author books for Rodale Press on health, wellness, and nutrition. With colleague Lionel Bascomb, she co-authored By the Light, profiling survivors’ near-death experiences and spiritual journeys. During her tenure as editor at the American Geriatrics Society, she authored white papers and reported on senior health issues, ironically including pieces on Alzheimer’s and other dementia disorders.

Barbara was proud of her work, but above all she was most proud of her two sons, Malcolm, now a United States Marine, and Henry, a high school honors student. She loved being a mother and cherished every moment with them. Barbara loved dogs, classical music, her friends, the Beatles, country roads, New York City, travel, books, Oscar Wilde, Gore Vidal, Frank Sinatra, Frank Langella … but above all, her sons.

Following her diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s Disease, Barbara relocated to Vermont to live near her sister. The many friends she made in Vermont marveled at her resilience and bravery as she confronted decline. Undaunted, she signed on for drawing classes and film classes, joined the senior center, swam, adopted a new dog (beloved rescue Labradoodle Blueberry), and persisted, participating full-on in life. She found her final home among the loving and caring staff members of the Ethan Allen Residence and Bayada Hospice in Burlington.

Barbara was predeceased by her father, James Loecher, and mother, Eleanor Loecher.

She leaves behind her two sons; sisters, Mary Inman (Rick) of North Attleboro, Mass., and Anne Loecher (Steve Cusick) of Montpelier, Vt.; nieces, Alisa Inman (Adam Parker), Elizabeth (Bryan) Harris, and Addie Cusick; great-nephew, Marshall Harris; and numerous and beloved friends.

We will miss her utterly unique laugh and wry wit, her keen intelligence, her kindness and compassion, her excellent politics, and her many, many talents.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org.