Patricia L’Abbe Jackson
Barry Steven Libman
Patricia L’Abbe Jackson, a devout Catholic, passed away on February 27th at the age of 83. She was born in Fitchburg MA on June 30, 1937 to the late Arthur L’Abbe and Dorothy (Mason) L’Abbe. She graduated from St. Bernard’s H.S. in 1955. Pat married Howard A. Jackson on June 26, 1960, and they lived in Fitchburg until their move to AZ in 1973. She leaves behind her 3 children, Stephen (Dianne) Jackson of Queen Creek AZ., and Lynn Flock (Larry) Queen Creek AZ., with whom she made her home, and Susan (Steve) Anderson of Cookson, OK. She also leaves behind 6 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Dorothy L’Abbe, husband Howard DOD 2006, her brother Arthur L’Abbe and two year old grandson Brian Thigpen.
Mass of Christian burial will be held at Resurrection parish, 3201 S. Evergreen Rd. Tempe, AZ., Friday March 5th at 10:00. Internment will be held at a later date. There are no viewing hours. In lieu of flowers, consider donating to the St. Vincent de Paul Conference at Resurrection Church, the American Heart Association or the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
PHOENIX – Barry was born in Chicago, IL to Gerald and Annaleah Libman, but grew up in Wausau, Wisconsin. After graduating high school, Barry attended the University of California-Berkeley where he played football and fell in love at first sight with Carmen Riddell. Eventually, the happy couple settled in Wausau, WI and went on to the have a large family of 7 children. Barry, having served in the Army during the Vietnam War, had a special sympathy for the Hmong people who had supported our troops during that conflict and felt obligated to help them get out of the terrible refugee camps they ended up in after the war. Barry and Carmen sponsored several Hmong families and helped their children go on to higher education.
Barry loved taking his family to their cabin on Blue Lake in Minocqua, WI where he taught them how to fish, paddle a canoe, waterski, and make ice-cream from fresh, wild raspberries from the surrounding forest. His love of fishing and travel were often combined and Barry and Carmen traveled the world, fishing, sightseeing and sampling the cuisine in exotic places. They especially enjoyed getting off the beaten trail to experience places rarely seen by foreigners.
In the mid-80s the Libman family relocated to Phoenix, Arizona. They loved the dramatic beauty of the desert and Barry’s business interests thrived, enabling him to pursue more of his philanthropic interests. While mentoring young business executives, he decided to establish the Washington Street Foundation (WSF), a scholarship and mentoring program, which has helped numerous disadvantaged children achieve their dreams of higher education. The ripple effect the program had on the families of the WSF scholars has been tremendous and Barry generously enabled his trust to continue the program in virtual perpetuity. The program is always in need of new mentors (hint, hint) and can be found at www.wsfkids.org .
Barry exemplified altruism and generosity, never a man who simply wrote checks, he was actively involved with a number of worthy organizations, including his daughter’s international health humanitarian organization, The Tia Foundation. He and his wife traveled often to rural Mexico and helped assemble medical kits for the Community Health Workers Tia trains. His family and his belief in leaving the world better than he found it were the primary themes in Barry’s life. Everyone who knew him was touched by him. His indelible legacy will be carried on by those who survive him: his wife, Carmen Libman; his children Laura Libman, Joe Libman (Heather), Seth Libman (Kelly), Jeffrey Micah Libman, and Fred Libman; his ten grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; his brother Michael Libman (Adrienne), his sister Joni Libman Peltz (Alexander), and beloved nieces, nephews and cousins on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border. He is preceded in death by his daughters, Nicole Libman and Alma Marie Libman, and his parents, Annaleah and Gerald Libman. Our loss is beyond words.
The family asks, if you wish to honor his memory, any donations can be made to The Tia Foundation at www.tiafoundation.org or P.O. Box 36203, Phoenix, AZ 85067.