Patricia Jean "Trish" Barber

     Patricia Jean “Trish” (Taylor) Barber was born in Lorain, Ohio on January 8, 1962, to Sarah Ruth (Darr) Welch and Kenneth Edward Taylor. She was one of seven children. She grew up in Vermilion, Ohio and graduated from Vermilion High School in 1980. She graduated from Kent State University with a degree in Education in 1984. She earned her master's from Bowling Green State University. Trish taught Marketing Education in the high school classroom where she positively impacted the lives of hundreds of students. Additionally, she was actively involved in DECA, a co-curricular youth club for Marketing students. Trish loved DECA and was a great local advisor. She served at the district, state, and national levels including advisory boards, summer camps, and career related competitive events. While teaching in Circleville Trish and her DECA students ran a booth at the annual Pumpkin Show, where they sold pumpkin pie and pumpkin burgers. Trish managed and improved the process so that the booth made enough money to puy a new trailer and to pay for flights for the students to attend National DECA events. After retiring in 2014 Trish was presented with the honorary life award, then went on to manage testing and scoring for DECA. She also led management of Ohio’s assigned competitive events at DECA nationals. Trish was admired, highly respected, and loved by her students and fellow DECA advisors.

     Trish married Brian Barber on July 4, 1997. They lived most of their married life in Frankfort, Ohio, moving to Chillicothe in 2021.

     Trish and Brian joined Trinity United Methodist Church in Chillicothe in 2006, where she quickly became an integral part of the church. She served as Trinity UMC’s Lay Member to the West Ohio Annual Conference starting in 2011; Lay Director of the Greater Scioto Valley Emmaus Board; Trinity UMC Worship Committee Chair (The Fun Committee) 2010 – 2021; she was a Trinity UMC Leadership Board member; served on the Video and Sound Team for Sunday Worship; and served on the Women’s Retreat Planning Team. In 2017 she joined the staff at Trinity as Ministry Coordinator, where she will be irreplaceable.

     For many years Trish served on the Adena Women’s Board, eventually serving as President, then Past President.

     Trish was preceded in death by her parents, Sarah Welch and Kenneth Taylor and a brother, Robert Dancer. She is survived by her sisters, Cherie (Bob) Wagner Centreville, VA, Marilyn Storch, Portage, MI, Kathy (Terry) Owens, St. Louisville, OH, Janet Taylor, Euclid, OH, a brother, Ed (Cheryl) Taylor, Elyria, OH, her Aunt Mary Bowman of Hobe Sound, FL, and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

     A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at Trinity United Methodist Church at 24 S Mulberry St Chillicothe OH. Visitation will be from 9-11am followed by an 11am service. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to Trinity United Methodist Church. https://chillicothetrinity.org/

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