April 1, 1941 - August 19, 2024
Barbara Jean Hardy Chaves, born April 1, 1941, made her journey to her eternal resting August 19, 2024 surrounded by family. Barbara was born in Schurz, Nevada to Isabel and Tony Chaves. She was an enrolled member from Paguate Village on the Pueblo of Laguna and a descendent of the Ute Ute Gwaitu Paiute Tribe of California. Her clan was Little Roadrunner. She grew up on the Pueblo of Laguna Indian Reservation in New Mexico and in Albuquerque New Mexico. She attended Haskell Institute (now Haskell Indian Nations University) in Lawrence, Kansas and graduated with vocational training for secretarial bookkeeping and administrative studies.
Her career path took her to Kansas City, Missouri, where she provided printing and editorial support to Watson’s Printing Company and administrative support to the Nursing Departments at Research Medical Center. Her favored career path was the extensive years she served as an early childhood educator with consistent teaching done at First Impressions Preschool and Mothers Day Out at Kansas City First Church of the Nazarene. Barbara served as the lead educator for early childhood classrooms for over twenty years and often was still greeted by students or families in the community of children she educated. Barbara fully retired in 2005 from formal education but continued to teach Sunday School and Vacation Bible School at Kansas City First Church of the Nazarene.
While a student at Haskell Institute, Barbara met her lifelong love and husband, Robert. Together, they had six children, 3 boys and 3 girls.
Barbara is preceded in death by her father, Tony Chaves, her mother, Isabel Chaves (Washington), and her sons Robert Hardy Jr., Brian Hardy, and Lawrence Hardy, and many loved ones from her home in Laguna Pueblo.
Barbara is survived by her husband of 67 years, Robert, her daughter Lois Hardy, daughter Marceline Suttles, and daughter Dr. Cynthia Hardy.
She was a beautiful grandmother to Terry and Tony Sheppard and Steven, James, John, Josh Suttles and Dustin Hardy. She had three great grandchildren.
She was a special Mimi to Elena Hardy. She will be remembered for her legacy of kindness, forgiveness, gentleness, and winning recipe of banana bread.
The family wishes to thank the care staff at St Joseph Medical Center, specifically Ashley, RN, from the Intensive Care Unit, Dr. Muhammed Banday, and Dr. Gerald Mancuso.
