Barbara J. Mccandless

Barbara J. McCandless, 88, of Middletown, died Wednesday, August 29, 2018, at Ohio's Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties. She was born in Middletown on June 14, 1930 to parents Louis and Helen (Singhoffer) Janka. Her father, Louis, was a well-known local Middletown policeman and her mother, Helen, was a homemaker.

After graduating from Middletown High School, Barbara worked at Armco Steel for many years in various administrative roles, along with her beloved husband Robert D. McCandless, who also worked at Armco. After they both retired from Armco, they would spend summers in Florida with friends and make frequent visits to see family in Pennsylvania. Barbara was very artistic and loved making crafts and doing needlework, often giving her creations to friends and family. She was well known locally for her in-home ceramic studio, which she started after her retirement from Armco. There she taught classes and hand-crafted ceramic figures and vases that were baked in a kiln and meticulously hand-painted. Barbara was a devoted wife and homemaker who loved to cook for guests, enjoyed working in her garden, and meeting up with her former high school friends for weekly luncheons.

Barbara and Bob McCandless were married for 62 years until his death in 2011. She was also preceded in death by her parents. Mrs. McCandless is survived by her brother-in-law, Thomas D. (Susan) McCandless; niece, Debra (Tom) Sawyer; and nephew, Thomas D. (Victoria) McCandless II.

Funeral Service will be held Tuesday, September 4, 2018 at 11:00 am at Wilson-Schramm-Spaulding Funeral Home, 3805 Roosevelt Blvd., Middletown. Visitation will be prior to the service from 10:00 - 11:00 am. Entombment will be at Woodside Mausoleum.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that memorial donations be made to P.A.W.S., 6302 Crossings Blvd., Monroe, OH 45050 – OR - Ohio's Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties, 5940 Long Meadow Dr., Franklin, OH 45005.