Barbara Jeanne Carroll Greenleaf

June 26, 1928 - November 8, 2022

Barbara Jeanne (Carroll) Greenleaf passed away on November 8, 2022 surrounded by her loving family in Berkeley, CA. She was 94. Barbara was born to Clifford and Gladys Carroll on June 26, 1928 at St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco. The family, including her three sisters, Patricia, Virginia and Joanie, lived on Dolores St. in the Mission District. She attended Notre Dame SF through high school and graduated from St. Joseph’s Nursing College as an RN in 1950.

Barbara Jeanne married the love of her life William (Bill) Patrick Greenleaf on July 1, 1950. The Greenleaf family lived across the street from Barbara Jeanne and her family, and Bill’s younger sister, Pat (Finigan) was Barbara Jeanne’s best friend. Barbara and Bill were married for 67 years but knew each other for over 80 years. Bill preceded her in death in 2016. Their family grew quickly with 6 children blessing their nest – Susan, Christy, Kerry, Dan, Lisbeth and Michael.

They resided on Bayview Ave. in Millbrae. Barbara was an RN at Peninsula Hospital and Director of Nurses at Sheltering Pines, and Bill was a high school teacher and coach at Capuchino High School. Both Barbara and Bill sat on the board of Mateo Lodge, an agency that provides support services to persons with serious mental illness. Barbara’s three sisters and parents (Moppin & Papa) all lived nearby with their families. All together the extended family numbered 24.

Barbara Jeanne’s big family was everything to this true family matriarch, and she held them together with her endless energy, giant family events, her bright internal light, quick laugh and twinkling sweet green eyes. She kept her children and grandchildren close with an unbounded love of them and of life. Barbara Jeanne – also known as Bonnie Jean, Bobs, Bobbie and Beej – was athletic and played tennis well into her 70’s. She was incredibly musical, loved to sing and could be seen with her kids sitting around the piano, like her mother, playing Boogie Woogie and Honky Tonk classics while everybody sang.

Like Barbara, her children were also very active in athletics, music, and the arts. Her children played sports and performed in bands, as did her grandchildren. Barbara and Bill and numerous aunts, uncles and grandparents were fixtures at all of these events. The family loved camping, traveling and spending summers at their cabin in Calaveras County. Their 7 month trip to Europe in a VW van with all their children in 1971 is still reminisced over.

Barbara Jeanne was a loving and dedicated mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, wife, daughter, sister and aunt. At the time of her death, she had 13 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

Although she will be missed immensely by everyone she has touched in life, we can all find solace in the fact that she has joined Bill, Moppin & Papa, Patty & Gin, and Pat & Jack in Heaven. God bless and RIP.