Obituary for Barbara "Babs" Kulas

Kulas, Barbara

age 72, passed away October 4th with her husband and three children by her side. Babs is survived by her husband (Joe), children (and their spouses) Mike (Lee), Steve (Helen), and Amy (Patrick) plus six grandchildren (Connor, Skylar, Hayden, Eliana, Ryan, and Allison). Babs also had a special relationship with her surviving siblings, Terry, Tom, and Susie. She is preceded in death by her daughter (Becky) and her parents (Leonard and Lois).

Babs was born on October 23rd, 1949, in Valley City, ND. After her family moved to Grand Forks, ND, Babs met her husband of 53 years in high school. Babs and Joe married in 1968 and moved to Chicago where Babs fell in love with big city life. After a brief stint in Indiana, where Mike was born, they moved to Ft. Knox, Kentucky, for nine months, where Becky arrived. After their Army experience, Babs and Joe settled in the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis to raise their family. In October 1972, Babs and Joe quickly ingrained themselves into their new neighborhood in Brooklyn Park, where they spent the next 48 years. Steve arrived in 1974, completing the family, or so Babs thought.

In their neighborhood, Babs and Joe made lifelong friends, hosted block parties, New Years Eve gatherings, and regularly entertained neighbors through all hours of the night. However, the fun and entertainment were interrupted with tragedy at times as Becky passed in 1977 after a battle with cancer that lasted over one year. It was during these tough times that Babs showed her true resilience and spirt. After losing Becky, a few months later, Amy arrived in 1978. Babs continued to shower her family with love and laughter and taught everyone around her an invaluable lesson about coping through the darkest times. There was never a dull moment when Babs was around.

Babs' true passions centered on spoiling her four children and six grandchildren, as well as traveling around the world with Joe. Their travels brought them throughout the United States, Asia, Africa, and Europe. Babs and Joe spent months at sea, including crossing the Atlantic on a Clipper ship. They camped at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro, went on an African safari, fed giraffes, and communed with elephants, cheetahs, lions, and gazelles. One of their most interesting trips involved visiting Hong Kong, Vietnam, and touring the Mekong River in Cambodia. But, Babs' true love was always found on the beaches of Hawaii.

As Babs read books voraciously and enjoyed working with children, she spent years working for School District 279, including stints in the libraries and media centers of both Garden City Elementary and Osseo Senior High School. During this time Babs made many meaningful friendships and furthered her education. She took computer and technology classes and became the schools webmaster. She loved her work and helping kids find a love for reading. Even after retirement, you could always find Babs reading a good book or the Star Tribune, as she read the paper front to back each day.

Friends and family will gather Saturday, October 8th, 2022, to celebrate and remember Babs' life from 10-12 at the Evans-Nordby Funeral Home at 6000 Brooklyn Blvd. in Brooklyn Center. In lieu of gifts or flowers please consider a donation to Babs' favorite charity, Doctors Without Borders