Barbara Marie De Leo (Dreiling)

Barbara Marie De Leo (Dreiling) died peacefully surrounded by family at her home in Oracle, Arizona on October 21, 2023, at the age of 76.

Barbara is survived by her husband of 56 years, Kenneth De Leo, her daughter Michele Gordon and husband Barney Gordon of Turlock, California, her son Brian De Leo and wife Fran De Leo of Southlake, Texas, and her grandchildren Hanna Gordon of Leander, Texas and Sarah Gordon of Laramie, Wyoming. Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Martina Dreiling, and her brother John Dreiling of Fort Collins, Colorado and in-laws Frank and Mary Lee De Leo of Loveland, Colorado as well as many beloved aunts, uncles, cousins, close friends and pets.

Barbara was born on February 8, 1947, in Hays, Kansas to Frank and Martina Dreiling, the owners of Dreiling Motors, the Buick, Pontiac, and GMC truck dealership in Ft, Collins for many years. She attended St. Joseph's Catholic School, Lincoln Junior High, Ft. Collins High School and graduated from Poudre High School in 1965 as a member of the first graduating class. She was proud to be the "P" in the Poudre Pom-Pom Squad and was very active in school activities at all the schools she attended. Barb and her husband Kenny met at Poudre, started dating when they were freshman at Colorado State University and were married in December 1966.

Barbara graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Child Development and Home Economics. After graduating, the family moved to Twin Falls, Idaho where she taught preschool in the Head Start programs in both Twin Falls and Nampa, Idaho. After another family move to Kirksville, Missouri, Barb attended and graduated from Northeast Missouri State University with a Master's degree in Speech & Language Pathology. Her 26-year career as a speech therapist was spent working in the public school districts of Meridian, Idaho, Greeley & Loveland, Colorado and Clovis, Martinez and Fresno, California.

Barb enjoyed living near her grandchildren in California, participating in their growth and development and faithfully attending their school and extracurricular activities into their college years. She loved the outdoors, traveling with her parents as a young girl, camping, fishing or just enjoying the mountains. Her favorite places were all outdoors: the mountains and plains of the West, the elk meadows around Estes Park, Yosemite National Park, the rugged California coast near Monterey, and more recently Monument Valley and the Painted Desert. Barbara was also a football fan but especially a fan of Colorado State football and the Denver Broncos. Barb & Ken moved ten times over their life together, seeing many parts of the US and collecting many friends, before finally retiring to Oracle, Arizona in 2018. Barb commented several times that her married life had its excitement but more importantly it was really interesting!

Barb was a loving and supportive mother to her children and grandchildren, extending her love to the lives of the multitudes of children she touched throughout her life as a teacher and speech therapist. After she retired from public schools, she delighted in working as a volunteer holding NICU babies at her local hospital and spending time outdoors with her dogs, KC, Riley and Sunny.

A Celebration of Life will be held on December 28, 2023, from 11am to 2pm at the Tapestry House, 3212 N Overland Trail, Laporte, Colorado. Our family would like to especially thank Catalina Hospice in Tucson, Arizona, for their care and support of Barbara in her final days. In remembrance of Barbara's life, please consider a gift to organizations in your communities that support memory care or mental health awareness.