Obituary – Barbara Snead Kinsey

Mrs. Barbara Snead Kinsey passed away peacefully, with family by her side, on March 26, 2021, at Harmony of Hanover in Mechanicsville, Va. Barbara was born August 30, 1930 in Richmond, Va. at the height of the American depression, to Erma Hubbard Snead and Louie Snead, who were later divorced when Barbara was two years old. During Barbara’s early years, she and her mother moved from rooming house to rooming house in Richmond. As a young lady, she spent many hours at the Byrd Theatre and collected autographs from WWII GIs. In the early 1950s, Barbara met Ralph Kinsey Jr., a native of North Carolina, at VEPCO, where her mother also worked. The Post-War effort took Erma, Barbara’s mother, to Iceland. Since Ralph was slow to propose marriage, Barbara hopped the train to New York City, planning to eventually rendezvous with her mother in Iceland. Ralph proposed and best friends, Lucille and Armistead Blackley (later married) met them in NYC. Ralph and Barbara were married October 29, 1952 at St. Paul’s Church. Barbara was very active in the 1960s collecting for the March of Dimes, was a member of the Sleepy Hollow Garden Club and PTA president at Maybeury Elementary, where her children went to school. She was a member of the Women’s Missionary Union and longstanding member of River Road Church Baptist and the Spire Committee. She was an excellent bowler, winning several awards and like her husband, Ralph, she was an avid fisherman. In the 1980s, she became a docent for the Richmond Museum of Fine Arts, as she studied and appreciated fine arts, especially Asian arts and culture. She was a voracious reader of historical fiction, loved the beach, college basketball, watching PGA golf, enjoyed gardening and baking desserts, including candies and jams. She is survived by her daughter, Carol; sons, Ralph III (Cha) and David; two grandchildren, Rachel and Jonathan; their mother, Beth; five great-grandchildren and other extended family. A graveside service will be held for friends and family at 11 a.m. Friday, April 2, at Greenwood Memorial Gardens. The family would like to express their gratitude to the caring staff at Harmony of Hanover and Bon Secours Hospice, especially our lifeline, Tricia Shiflett, who dedicated her time and compassion to Barbara’s care. In lieu of flowers, please plant a tulip in Barbara’s memory. She was much-loved and will be greatly missed.