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- Barbara (Hall) Gaffney, born April 2, 1929 made her transition peacefully on August 20, 2015 at age 86, lovingly surrounded by her children, grandson & her niece who sang for her in her final days at home in San Bernardino. Barbara was preceded in death by her husband Vince, 2 months after their 50th anniversary (2002), brothers, Francis Trullinger (1962) & Bill Hall (2000), & sister, Lois Trusty (2005). She is survived by her children who were also her loving caregivers, Cheryl & Steve, both of San Bernardino, grandson Sean Gaffney, granddaughter Christina Flowers, & great grandson Ayden McLaughlin, all of Yucaipa. She is also survived by sister-in-law, Mickey (Hall) Rife of San Mateo, brother-in-law Jim & wife Margaret Gaffney of El Paso, TX, and her nieces & nephews. Barbara, a lifelong resident of San Bernardino was a loving wife & mother, devoted her life to her family to which we are eternally grateful. She graduated from San Bernardino High School, & then worked at Roy Davis Camera Shop in downtown San Bernardino where she ?colorized? black & white photos & was quite excellent at it. She was athletic, loved playing tennis & often camped right on the beach (in the good ol' days it was allowed) with a group of friends along with her brother Bill & Vince's sister Yvonne (Mickey). It was on one of these campouts that she met the love of her life, Vince Gaffney. In their 20's, they married & bought a home in San Bernardino where Barbara was a homemaker & lived there for over 60 yrs. She devoted her life to her husband, children & cared for her aging parents & in-laws when in need. It was evident she loved gardening as soon as you saw her yards. She landscaped her yard with many unique plants & her Dichondra lawns were immaculate. The backyard & pool held many gatherings always with music. Early on there'd be house parties with friends & neighbors that were always fun with music & dancing. We're so thankful we were introduced to music & dance at a very young age. Whenever we hear Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams, Tom Jones, Creedence Clearwater, Kenny Rogers, Aretha Franklin & James Brown, it brings back great memories. "Love Lifted Me" became a family sing-a-long after renting a beach house with long-time friends Betty & Howard Arnold & daughter Cindy as we'd all sing it together. Mom really loved the song; it will always hold special memories for us. Some of our fondest memories are of mom belting out songs while doing housework. Barbara & Vince were the first "daycare providers" for their grandson Sean which made many wonderful memories of their love for their grandson. Barbara was a unique, determined, but modest woman of few words who never wore her emotions on her sleeve. She wasn't religious, but more spiritual in nature. She had a belief in God, and taught us to live by "The Golden Rule". She selflessly did for others, never expecting anything in return. She was so strong & brave ? We never realized just how much until she pulled through a few medical situations. One being at age 77, fell off the kitchen table stepping down to a chair after fixing a window blind. She broke her leg & spent over an hour dragging herself to the living room to reach the phone. Another time she had a fall on the back patio where she kept trying, but couldn't get up. She spent over 30 hours on the cement in December's 40 degree weather overnight wearing only a shirt & pants until she managed to drag herself over to a plastic tarp and used it to cover herself. At the hospital, they couldn't even get a reading of her vitals. She pulled through and was considered the hospital's "Christmas Miracle" that year. When she put her mind to something, she didn't quit. If she was told she couldn't do something, she'd take it as a challenge and prove them wrong. This was the case even up to Jan. 2015 as she continued physical therapy in attempt to recover from her last fall in August 2014 where she had multiple fractures (pelvis in 2 spots, neck of L femur & upper L arm). By then her body was weak, & she never regained the ability to walk again. In late July the emphysema/COPD advanced suddenly after all the fires nearby and was just too much for her frail body. She was such an inspiration to her family & especially her grandson Sean, who wrote her a poem for her 85th birthday about how strong she was. She will be terribly missed, but forever etched in our hearts. Her service will be graveside at 11 a.m. Thursday, September 10, 2015 at Montecito Memorial Park & Mortuary 3520 East Washington St., Colton, CA 92324
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1914 - 1962 (47 years)
