Barbara Jean Garvey Flax

Barbara Jean Garvey Flax  *  1955-2019 Barbara Jean Garvey Flax, of Wichita, Kansas, passed away on Saturday, February 9, 2018, after a long and courageous bout with cancer. She was 63. Barbara was born June 8, 1955, as the third child of her parents, Lyle and Wanda Garvey, of Derby, Kansas. She attended Derby schools and had the blessing of spending summers in Coyville, Kansas, helping out at the filling station and grocery store owned by her grandparents, Ernest and Ella Thompson.  The small-town lessons learned about hard work and caring for neighbors remained with her for the rest of her life. After graduation from Derby High School in 1973, she worked hard to support herself and soon found a profession she loved as a beautician.  She graduated from Vernon’s School of Cosmetology and later her entrepreneurial spirit led her to become an independent cosmetologist. Barbara had a flair for costumes and designed many costumes for many occasions for her friends and local theater. She would scour local costume shops with an eye for modifying period costumes and repurpose them for modern use.  Her goal was to eventually open a costume shop.  Perhaps her greatest personal passion was clowning. Through her skill in costuming and her desire to be joyful around others, she brought to life the fun-loving personage of Goldie the Clown, who appeared in public events as well as family parties. She was likely the inspiration to her mother who became a puppeteer late in life. Barbara and her mother also spent several years as antique store enthusiasts, travelling throughout southeast Kansas looking for treasures of the past. True to her spirit, Barbara loved board games and family were thrilled to play improvisation games with her where tears of laughter often resulted during the cherished moments. Barbara met the love of her life, David Flax, and they married on November 1 1980. They had one daughter, Angela, who cared for Barbara daily during the final months of her life. Bringing Barbara home after a dire diagnosis in late 2018 helped spark an amazing turnaround in Barbara’s spirits which brought tremendous joy to family and friends through the holidays. Barbara was preceded in death by a brother, Warren Russell, and her parents. She leaves behind in the care of God her husband Dave, her daughter Angela and husband Joe Atkinson, stepson Daven Flax and his wife Tina Waite Flax, 12 grandchildren including Arianna, Bryce, Alyssa, Brayden, Nicki, Justin, Ashley, Skyler; Olivia, Reece, Sydnee and Parker; 1 great-grandchild Averi; brothers Ernest Garvey of Simla, Col; Richard Garvey of Augusta, Kans. and Ray Garvey of Valley Center, Kans. Visitation will be 4 - 6 pm, Thursday, February 14, at Downing & Lahey West; Rosary to follow at 7 pm at St. John Parish - Clonmel; Funeral Mass at 11 am, Friday, February 15, at St. John Parish-Clonmel. A memorial has been established with Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, 313 S. Market, Wichita, KS 67202.