Barbara Jeanne Mattern peacefully passed away on August 6, 2021. She was surrounded by her three devoted daughters in the comfort of her home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Barbara was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, on July 24, 1942, to Ruby (Warner) and Earl Mattern. She graduated with high honors in 1960 from Allegany Central School in Allegany, New York.
She graduated in 1979 from the Saint Francis School of Nursing in Allegany, New York, and worked as an LPN for several years before becoming a Scheduling Coordinator of a home healthcare agency. She went on to become a manager of multiple apartment complexes for senior citizens before retiring in 2007.
She took great pride in her work and excelled at anything she put her mind to. Those that witnessed her with her family, however, know that she felt her greatest achievement of all was being a mother and a grandmother. Her children include Carol “Jan” Blakeslee and her husband, Gregg, of Cary, North Carolina; David Stewart and his wife, Patty, of Olean, New York; Annette Morrison and her husband, Ellis, of Greensboro, North Carolina; and Kim Murdock of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She also has six grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren. Affectionately nicknamed “Barbie” by those that were closest to her, she had a variety of passions, including decorating her home, preparing gluten free meals, studying the bible, and painting as well as finding treasures at thrift stores and yard sales. She was an avid gardener and will be fondly remembered by the beautiful garden she cultivated and cared for, located at Manley Estates, where she resided among many friends. She loved spending quality time with those she cared about and particularly enjoyed playing her favorite game, Yahtzee, which she usually won.
She was predeceased by her parents and her sister, Joyce Homuth, who passed away in 2014. She is survived by her brother, Jerry Mattern, of Spencerport, New York, and her sister, Kay Mattern, of Olean, New York. She is also survived by her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews and cousins.
Her funeral will be held at Donaldson Funeral Home & Crematory in Pittsboro, North Carolina, on Saturday, September 18, 2021, between the hours of 12:30pm and 3:30pm; the visitation will take place from 12:30-1:45, the memorial service will be conducted by Pastor Will Rose from 2:00-2:45, and the graveside service will be shortly after, from 3:00-3:30 at Lystra Baptist Church, Chapel Hill. Friends and family are welcome to come by to pay their respects at any time. Covid safety protocols will be observed for the safety of all who attend in-person. Please feel free to contact her daughter Kim Murdock at ArtzHubNC@gmail.com if you would like to receive a zoom link to attend virtually instead.
In lieu of flowers, on behalf of our favorite gardener and beloved mother, please donate to the North Carolina Botanical Garden.
Make payable to “UNC-Chapel Hill” (please designate area you wish to support in memo line) and mail to: UNC-Chapel Hill PO Box 309 Chapel Hill, NC 27514-0309. Phone: 919-537-3818 www.ncbg.unc.edu.
Condolences may be made at www.donaldsonfunerals.com
Donaldson Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to serve the Mattern family.