Barbara Ann Smith Butler went to be with the Lord on January 21, 2025, surrounded by her loving family at the age of 80. She was preceded in death by her parents Robert Smith Sr. and Eva Marie Jones Smith as well as her brother Robert Smith Jr. (Bobby) and her sister-in-law, Nancy Aikens. She was the oldest of her brother and sister and they all were very close.

Barbara Ann accepted Christ at a young age and was baptized at Hood Temple A.M.E Zion Church. She attended Richmond Public School and graduated from Maggie L. Walker High School in 1962. After graduating high school, she was a cosmetologist in Richmond for many years before working for the State of Virginia in the Department of Taxations, where she retired.

Barbara married the love of her life, Willie L. Butler Jr. "Billy" on July 24, 1965, and from this union they have two loving daughters. Angela and Kimberly. The most important thing to her was God and her family. She absolutely loved and adored her three grandchildren, Clarke, La'Rae and Justin.

Barbara and Billy enjoyed raising their kids together and always participated in everything they did. She and Billy were inseparable, they spent each day together going out to eat, watching television, running erands and just riding around the city sightseeing.

She loved music. Her favorite singer was Nat King Cole. As a child she spent many afternoons at the Calhoun and Blackwell playground, when she was a teenager; she would dance at the school yard past her curfew time. She loved sports especially football and basketball, especially because her nephews played the sport.

She always loved having family around her, when the younger family members got grown and moved away. She would always ask them when are you moving back, she was always happy when they would come home. Throughout the years she and Billy would often host family barbecues, birthday parties, baby showers, etc., every year they would host the infamous Christmas breakfast where everyone would attend.

She was dearly loved by her family and friends, affectionately called Pumpkin by her husband and Mata by her nephews. Any child in the family that played a sport she was at every game, rooting them on, cutting out every article and taping interviews. She was a beautiful sole and her spirit was calming. In good times or bad she would always say the Lord will provide and he always did.

Barbara leaves to cherish her memory her devoted husband, Willie L. Butler Jr.; and her daughters, Angela Morris (Stanley), Kimberly McCloud. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Clarke Brown Lawson (Taylor), La'Rae McCloud and Justin Morris; sisters, Rosemary Morris, Maxine Howard and Evonne Quiller (William); Sisters-in-law, Mildred Edwards of Chicago, Illinois and Sheila Smith; Nieces: LaKeytra Smith-Winn, Sharon Mosby, Contina Spencer, Adriene McRae, and Dyvonne King; nephews, Elliott Smith, Anthony Mosby, Isiah S. Morris III, Aaron Aikens Jr., Anthony Redmond and Andre D. Morris; a host of great- nieces and great-nephews, cousins and friends among them Ann Twiggs, Tammy Blathers, Veronica Hopkins and Vivian Coleman along with her 4-legged grand-pups, Copa Lawson and Queenie McCloud.

Funeral services can be viewed online by selecting the "View Funeral Webcast" link below on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.

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