Barbara Korntheuer
Barbara M. Korntheuer, 95, passed away peacefully at her home in Naples, Florida, on May 31. She is now where she wanted to be, with her dear husband, Walter, who passed away three months ago. Theirs was a storybook marriage of 69 beautiful years together that was an inspiration to many.
Barbara (aka Bobbie) was born in Mount Kisco, New York, and raised and educated in Port Chester, NY. She was the daughter of Herbert Woodger, from England, and Annie McGrigor Croucher Woodger, from Scotland. Bobbie’s father was an award-winning horticulturist and superintendent of the Percy S. Straus estate, called Hilholme, in Port Chester. For Bobbie, life on the estate was all about being outdoors. With her brother, Herb, she would roam the woods, walk along streams for miles, ride horses, and climb trees. It was an idyllic life, untouched by the Great Depression that raged outside Hilholme.
Bobbie attended classes in a one-room schoolhouse and graduated at age 16. As a young woman she was named queen of Port Chester in 1941. Her late husband Walt’s famous story was that he saw her picture in the newspaper and decided right then and there that she was the one he wanted to marry. They met at the local bank where they both worked, she as the head bookkeeper at the young age of 17. Walt’s courtship lasted several years, and he finally got her to the altar in September 1950.
Bobbie later worked as an accountant for Chesebrough Ponds in Greenwich, Connecticut. She was a volunteer at the United Hospital in Port Chester and a very active parishioner at churches in Port Chester; Dennis, Massachusetts and Naples. Along with her husband, she was devoted to volunteerism and community service. Both were reputed for their donations of time to many organizations that helped the disabled, the young, and the poor.
Bobbie was ahead of her time. She had a strong and independent spirit, yet she was fiercely loyal to her family. She was an incredibly supportive wife, a loving mother, a doting and joyful grandmother, and a special friend to many. She and Walt taught us all how to be united as a couple and how to face things together.
Barbara is survived by her three loving children, William, Diane (Peter Grzybala), and Paul (Linda Griffith); two grandchildren, Kim Grzybala (fiance Rick Mooney) and Emma Korntheuer; and her beloved nieces, whom she adored.
The family wishes to thank her wonderful caregivers, Laurie and Cory, who were angels to them both.
A memorial service and celebration of her life will be held at a later date. Burial will be private at the Greenwood Union Cemetery in Rye, New York. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Naples (250 Sixth Street South, Naples, FL 34102), the Congregational Church in South Glastonbury (PO Box 187, South Glastonbury, CT 06073), or the Dennis Union Church (P.O. Box 2020, Dennis, MA 02638).