Barbara Ann Isaac

ISAAC, Barbara Ann Teresa, 69, of Halifax, Nova Scotia, passed away peacefully with her only child, Rochelle (Isaac-Clements) Kennedy, holding her, at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, AB, on July 19, 2023. Barbara was born on March 4, 1954, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Barbara is the daughter of the late Margaret (LeBlanc) Isaac and Moses Wilfred Isaac, both of Halifax, NS, and had 2 older brothers, and 1 older sister, all of whom she loved. She attended Queen Elizabeth High School in Halifax, and some night classes of interest. Barbara was a talented freelance Interior Decorator and everything she touched turned into beauty. Barbara was beautiful on the inside and outside.  Her home was always filled with gorgeous flower arrangements and decor. Her friends often called her 'Barbie' or 'Barbie Doll' as she resembled a Barbie doll, and her name was Barbara, how fitting! Barbara was a strong spirited and tenacious woman who overcame various struggles she went through in life.  She was raised as a Catholic and became a Born Again Christian at Faith Tabernacle in her early 20's which transformed her life into that of great happiness. Her daughter was born in 1979 and Barbara took great pride in being a wonderful and loving Mother; it was her main priority in life. Barbara separated from her husband in 1984. She was a single parent from then onwards. She fiercely protected and loved her daughter, and they were truly best friends with an unbreakable bond. Her daughter admired her for her strength and her commitment to being such a loving and caring mother who did the job of both mother and father for many years. Barbara and her daughter enjoyed many simple joys together - shopping trips to Sears Bargain Basement, Winners, Chinese Food on weekends, delicious Turkey Dinners on holidays, dinner every Thursday at Zellers (with Barbara’s dad too when he was alive), Swiss Chalet, Willman’s Fish and Chips, going to get a Pine Tree every Christmas and decorating it with pink lights/decorations (and she would get electrocuted at least once every Christmas putting up the lights, lol!).  Barbara was a no nonsense type of person and stood for what she believed in, and did not tolerate discrimination of any kind towards her friends or family - she was a force to be reckoned with (like her dad's Mom). She was of Lebanese and French descent and was proud of her heritage. She was very kind hearted, generous, and enjoyed helping those who were less fortunate. She had morals, believed in doing things right, and living a good life; and no matter what happened, she always said 'Life is so beautiful'.  Barbara loved to dance, she was a dancer in high school and continued to enjoy dancing (and singing along) to her favorite songs as an adult, some of which were by Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Lionel Ritchie, Prince, Diana Ross, Michael Bolton, and more. Her best friend since childhood is the late Heather Crawley, who used to jokingly call her 'motor mouth' as she was quite the talker once she got going - they had great fun together! Barbara loved to bask in the sunshine - it was her happy place! Her signature perfume was Chanel No.5 (same as her mother) and she loved fashion and creating beautiful things. Barbara also had a good sense of humor; her and her daughter could always make each other laugh with their similar silliness! Barbara's daughter moved to Alberta in 2012 and Barbara decided to move there to be close to her over the years. Her precious granddaughter, Isabella Ann Kennedy, was born in 2018 and became her pride and joy! In 2019 she moved back to Halifax, and her daughter and granddaughter would fly there to spend lots of time with her and made many special memories together as 3 generations at the Public Gardens, Halifax Waterfront, Chicken Burger, and many other places. Her favorite treats were white coconut snowballs and her favorite baker (Karen) at Sobeys would always make them upon request! She had a beautiful dog in her younger years named Je t’aime, who she loved so much. She was a car person -  In her mid/late 20’s she had a very special Black Mach 1 Mustang racing car. She will be greatly missed by her daughter, granddaughter, and other loved ones. Her daughter dedicates the song 'Because you loved me' by Celine Dion, to her Mother - it was also the song for their special Mother/Daughter dance at Rochelle's wedding in 2013. Unfortunately, Barbara was diagnosed in 2011 with an incurable disease called Degenerative Spinocerebellar Ataxia which caused her to experience a rapid decline in her health in the past few years. She became quite ill in January 2023 and her daughter was by her side and brought her back to Alberta to continue to be by her side until the end (a several month journey). We want to thank the Halifax Infirmary Staff for having true compassion and providing the miraculous 'compassionate funding' to help bring Barbara to Alberta on a special flight with 2 RN's from Angels of Flight, so she could have more time with her loving daughter, which she did, and her daughter is so grateful for.  We also want to thank the Edson Health Care Center Staff and the Royal Alexandra Hospital Staff for their care. She is survived by her daughter Rochelle (Jacob) Kennedy, granddaughter Isabella Kennedy; brother Daniel Isaac; nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her brother James Isaac and sister Yvonne Bennett. We will miss Barbara immensely and we know she is at peace now in Heaven with God. A Celebration of Life has been held for her and the video is available upon request to any loved ones who wish to have a copy.  Condolences, fond memories or stories about Barbara, are welcomed.  In her memory, donations can be made to the National Ataxia Foundation (link: https://www.ataxia.org/donate/ ), or a charity of your choice.