Barbara J. Piepho

Barbara Jeanette Banks Piepho November 2, 1935 – December 27, 2019
Barbara passed away peacefully on December 27, 2019 in Alamo, CA after a brief, but valiant battle with Leukemia.
Barbara was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, the only child of George and Jeanette Banks, and lived more than 70 of her 84 years in Concord. She was a graduate of Mt. Diablo High School and returned to college after raising her family to earn her Bachelor of Arts in Management from Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga at the age of 53. She was particularly proud to have earned her Masters of Science in Human Resources Management from Golden Gate University in San Francisco at age 64.
Barbara retired as Vice President of Finance and Administration from Samuel Merritt College (University) in Oakland in 2005. In retirement, Barbara served on the Board of Trustees and Finance Committee at Carondelet High School, the Board of Directors for the Contra Costa Child Care Council, and the Board of Directors at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco. She taught Religious Education, served as a Eucharistic Minister, and participated in a number of other ministries at Christ the King in Pleasant Hill. Barbara was very active up until the time of her death. She had many passions. Barbara loved to exercise and attended Pilates 4 days per week up until her diagnosis; she even exercised in the hospital while receiving cancer treatment. She loved fine wine, shopping, cooking and entertaining, attending concerts and musical theater, as well as traveling, especially to Hawaii. Barbara’s greatest love, however, was spending time with her four children, and being “Mamo” to her six living grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
Barbara was preceded in death by her parents George and Jeanette Banks, ex-husband George “Al” Piepho, and grandson David Norman. She leaves behind her partner of 35 years, Neil Wirth, children Jeanette Norman (Steve Dulas), Richard Piepho (Barbara), Teresa Stone (Ed), Regina Pitt (Zachary), her grandchildren Robert Norman (Stephanie), Danielle House-Roberts, Jeniffer Sattar, Richard Piepho, Alicia Stone and Carter Stone, and great-grandchildren Francesa, Hunter, Kyran, Hazel and Violet, her half-brother Joseph Banks (Misty), nephew Dustyn and niece Ashley, and many more family and friends.
A Catholic Rosary will be held at 7:00 pm on Friday, January 10, 2020 at Ouimet Brothers Funeral Chapel in Concord, and a funeral Mass will be at 11:30 am on Saturday, January 11, 2020 at Christ the King Catholic Church in Pleasant Hill. A lunch reception/celebration of life will follow at Carondelet High School in Concord.
Barbara’s family would like to thank the wonderful doctors, nurses, and staff that supported her during her battle against Leukemia - at Diablo Valley Oncology, the Outpatient Infusion Center at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, and at the Bruns House in Alamo.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a tax-deductible donation in memory of Barbara to:
The Barbara Piepho Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Carondelet High School, 1133 Winton Dr., Concord, CA 94518 or Hospice East Bay – Bruns House, 3470 Buskirk Avenue, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

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