••• Barbara Birdie O’Brien ….
•••
Barbara Birdie O’Brien Bell
1927-2024 Barbara Birdie O’Brien Bell, beloved sister, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-greatgrandmother, and great-great-great-grandmother, passed away in the presence of family and in the comfort of her home on Feb. 17, 2024.
Barbara worked as an accountant much of her adult life, but where she found her most joy was in her hobbies and her volunteer work, and especially as the matriarch of a family that grew to more than 40 strong.
The second of four children, Barbara was born on July 30, 1927, in Great Falls, Montana, to Robert Emmett O’Brien and Birdie Jones. After staying in Montana with her older sister Pat and their father during the Great Depression, Barbara moved with Pat to Maywood, California, to live with their mother, stepfather, younger sister Dorothy and baby brother Victor.
The draw of the Midwest— and her close connection with her best friend Nicky—saw Barbara move to Oklahoma for her high school years. After graduating, Barbara moved back to Maywood to begin her career and never left the state. (Though she did join Nicky in Oklahoma for their 50th high school reunion!)
Shortly after returning to California, Barbara met Glenn Alan Moe, whom she married. They had three children, Don, Kathryn and Cheryl. Barbara remarried in 1963 to Bob Bell, with whom she had a daughter, Dianne.
Bob and Barbara lived in Whittier much of their lives— becoming quite the formidable duo on SoCal bowling lanes— before moving to Leisure World in Seal Beach in 2003, where they lived together until Bob’s passing in 2015.
Barbara remained in their Leisure World home, often volunteering at the book store, until her passing.
Barbara is survived by her sister Dorothy, her four children and three stepchildren, and dozens and dozens of descendants.
She may be gone but her legacy will live on for generations.
