Barbara Jeanne Valdez (née Croxen), 78, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and sister, passed away peacefully on August 8, 2025, in Hillsboro, Oregon. Barbara was born on September 26, 1946, at Oak Knoll Navy Hospital in Oakland, California, just after World War II, to Ruth and Larry Croxen. She spent her childhood in San Francisco and later lived in Kings Beach at Lake Tahoe and in San Jose. When her father passed away during her teenage years, Barbara and her mother would spend their summers in Wyndemere, North Dakota, always bringing their faithful dog Pepper aka Peppy along. In 1976, during America’s bicentennial year, Barbara married the love of her life, Jerry Valdez, beginning a nearly five-decade journey together. She was a gifted and creative soul — a talented seamstress, a gardener, and an artist who even adorned grocery lists with delicate flowers sketched on the backs of envelopes. She played piano beautifully and was an active member of the Ladies of the Oriental Shrine. Barbara’s family recalls countless late nights when she stayed up helping her daughters with schoolwork, never giving up until every problem was solved. She once enthusiastically joined Rachael’s fourth-grade project on Mission Santa Barbara — not just for the history lesson, but because it shared her mother’s name. Though she faced many illnesses and injuries throughout her life, Barbara’s strength and resilience never wavered. She met every challenge with quiet determination until her body was ready to be at peace. Barbara is survived by her devoted husband, Jerry Valdez; daughters, Rachael Davis, Esther Hoagland, and Jennifer Torrey; her beloved granddaughter, Ayla Davis; and her sister, Linda Legendre. She was preceded in death by her mother, Ruth Summers, in 2023. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to organizations supporting Alzheimer’s and epilepsy research. The family extends their heartfelt thanks to the staff at HOLI Senior Living and Tenderly Hospice for the compassionate care they gave Barbara in her final months. Barbara will be remembered for her creativity, perseverance, and love — a woman who found beauty in the smallest details and left warmth in the hearts of all who knew her.